By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
FOREST GROVE, Ore. -- Willamette University and Pacific University split the six singles matches in non-conference women's tennis action on the evening of Sunday, Feb. 16 at the Hulce Tennis courts. Pacific earned wins in all three doubles matches to defeat the Bearcats, 6-3. The Boxers, who were playing their season opener, moved to 1-0 on the season. Willamette fell to 0-2.
The Bearcats recorded their wins at #4 singles, #5 singles and #6 singles. In the #4 match, Alyssa Oberg (Sr., Roseville, CA/Oakmont HS) struggled in the first set, but recovered for a solid win in the second set, and then prevailed over Kailei Elistis of Pacific in a tie-breaker played instead of a third set, 0-6, 6-2, 10-6. At #5 singles, Siena Ginsburg (Jr., Bend, OR/Summit HS) rolled past Jessica Eligio, 6-1, 6-0. Rebecca Griffith (Fy., Fort Collins, CO/Rocky Mountain HS) of WU prevailed in the #6 singles match with a big rally after losing the first set, 6-0. She took the second set, 6-4, and then won a super tie-breaker 10-8.
Pacific gathered wins at #1, #2 and #3 singles. Sydnie Binder downed Robin Pashek (Jr., The Dalles, OR/The Dalles-Wahtonka HS) at #1 singles, 6-0, 6-0. In #2 singles, Adrienne Powell won for the Boxes, 6-3, 6-1, over Sarah Dean (Jr., Boise, ID/Timberline HS). The #3 singles competition between Johanna Wilson of Pacific and Sylvia Marr (Jr., Grants Pass, OR/Hidden Valley HS) from Willamette went three sets. Wilson outlasted Marr, 0-6, 6-3, 6-4.
The Boxers opened the evening by building a 3-0 lead in doubles. In the #1 doubles match, Binder and Wilson defeated Pashek and Dean, 8-0. Powell and Eligio held off Marr and Ginsburg at #2 doubles, 8-4, while Megan Mette and Taylor Smallwood of Pacific downed Oberg and Paisley Lieske (Fy., Seattle, WA/Vashon Island HS), 8-4, at #3 doubles.
Willamette will take on the University of Puget Sound in another non-conference match on Saturday, Feb. 22 in Tacoma, Washington. Match time is scheduled for 1 p.m. (PST).
