SALEM, ORE. -- The Willamette University men's tennis team swept past George Fox University, 9-0, at the WU Tennis Courts on Friday, April 13. The Northwest Conference victory improved the Bearcats to 9-8 on the season, including 8-6 against conference opponents. Willamette has won six of its last seven matches. GFU fell to 4-11 overall, with every match in the NWC.
WU opened the afternoon by sweeping the doubles matches, as the Bearcats lost just seven games in doubles play. Eric MacMillan (Jr., Twin Falls, ID/Twin Falls HS) and Shaun Mihalick (Mukilteo, WA/Eastlake HS) led the way by winning #1 doubles, 8-1, over Kyle Pearson and Nick Jenness.
In singles, Willamette's #1 player, Donovan LeDoux (Fr., Keizer, OR/McNary HS), rallied from a 5-2 deficit in the first set to defeat Pearson, 7-5. 6-3. MacMillan downed Mac Ovenell, 6-0, 6-1, at #2 singles. WU won five of the singles matches in straight sets, while Mihalick needed a super tie-breaker (instead of a third set) to defeat Jordon Vargas at #4 singles, 6-1, 2-6, (10-2).
Willamette holds a one-game lead over the University of Puget Sound for fourth place in the NWC, pending Friday's result between UPS and Lewis & Clark College. UPS was 7-7 in the NWC prior to Friday's contest against the Pioneers.
The Bearcats and Puget Sound will play each other at the WU Tennis Courts on Saturday (April 14), starting at 12 p.m. (PDT). The match will be moved indoors to the Courthouse Tennis Club in Salem, Ore., starting at 4 p.m. (PDT), if weather prevents the teams from playing outside.
Willamette, which has clinched one of six berths into the NWC Tournament, will conclude the regular season at Linfield College on Sunday, April 15. Match time in McMinnville, Ore., is set for 5 p.m. (PDT). The NWC Tournament will be played in Yakima, Wash., April 20-21.
Friday, April 13, 2007
At Willamette University Tennis Courts, Salem, Ore.
Willamette University 9, George Fox University 0
Singles
#1 - Donovan LeDoux (WU) defeated Kyle Pearson (GFU), 7-5, 6-3
#2 - Eric MacMillan (WU) defeated Mac Ovenell (GFU), 6-0, 6-1
#3 - Fitz Paccione (WU) defeated Nick Jenness (GFU), 6-2, 6-4
#4 - Shaun Mihalick (WU) defeated Jordon Vargas (GFU), 6-1, 2-6, (10-2)
#5 - Micah Mack (WU) defeated Shawn McKenzie (GFU), 6-0, 6-1
#6 - Luke Lagattuta (WU) defeated Leon Rubalcava (GFU), 6-2, 6-0
Doubles
#1 - MacMillan and Mihalick (WU) defeated Pearson and Jenness (GFU), 8-1
#2 - Mack and Geoff Klein (WU) defeated Ovenell and Vargas (GFU), 8-4
#3 - Paccione and Lagattuta (WU) defeated McKenzie and Rubalcava (GFU), 8-2
Records: Willamette is 9-8 overall, 8-6 in the NWC; George Fox is 4-11 overall, 4-11 in the NWC
Donovan LeDoux won #1 singles over Kyle Pearson, 7-5, 6-3, on April 13.
