PLEASANTON, CALIF. -- The Willamette University men's tennis team opened the 2008 spring season with a 7-2 loss to Pomona-Pitzer, on Saturday evening, Feb. 2, at neutral indoor courts in Pleasanton, Calif. The Bearcats recorded wins at #2 and #3 singles, and almost defeated Pomona-Pitzer's top doubles team, but the Sagehens managed to sweep the doubles positions and win four of six singles matches.
Matthew Houser (Fr., Vancouver, WA/Evergreen HS) won the #2 singles match for Willamette, as he defeated Drew Olian, 6-0, 6-2. Eric MacMillan (Sr., Twin Falls, ID/Twin Falls HS) added a victory for the Bearcats at #3 singles with a straight-set triumph over Garrett Pin, 6-1, 6-3.
WU's top player, Andrew Murakami (Jr., Wahiawa, HI/U. of Redlands) fell to Cameron Taylor of PP in the #1 singles match. 6-2, 6-0. Murakami and Micah Mack (So., Wenatchee, WA/Wenatchee HS) almost edged out a win in #1 doubles, but Olian and Taylor prevailed, 9-8, as the Pomona-Pitzer duo claimed an 8-6 win in a tie-breaker.
The Bearcats were competitive in the remaining doubles matches, but were unable to take a win over Pomona-Pitzer. In #2 doubles, Pin and John Williford downed MacMillan and Houser, 8-5. At #3 doubles, Grant Friedman and Drew Cohn held off Alex Sepenzis (Jr., Edwards, CO/Cherry Creek HS) and Luke Lagattuta (So., Albuquerque, NM/Highland HS), 8-5.
Willamette was originally scheduled to play three matches on its trip to California, but Saturday's match with the University of California-Santa Cruz and Sunday's match with Foothill (Junior) College were canceled due to rain and wet courts.
WU will play again on Saturday, Feb. 16, when the Bearcats host Pacific Lutheran University in a Northwest Conference match at the Willamette University Tennis Courts. Match time is scheduled for 4 p.m. (PST), but will move to 7 p.m. (PST) at the Courthouse Tennis Club if weather forced the action indoors.
Saturday, Feb. 3, 2008
At Pleasanton, Calif.
Pomona-Pitzer 7, Willamette University 2
Singles
#1 - Cameron Taylor (PP) defeated Andrew Murakami (WU), 6-2, 6-0
#2 - Matthew Houser (WU) defeated Drew Olian (PP), 6-0, 6-2
#3 - Eric MacMillan (WU) defeated Garrett Pin (PP), 6-1, 6-3
#4 - John Williford (PP) defeated Alex Sepenzis (WU), 6-1, 6-0
#5 - Nick Tagliarino (PP) defeated Fitz Paccione (WU), 6-0, 6-1
#6 - Grant Friedman (PP) defeats Geoff Klein (WU), 6-1, 6-0
Doubles
#1 - Olian and Taylor (PP) defeated Murakami and Micah Mack (WU), 9-8 (8-6)
#2 - Williford and Pin (PP) defeated MacMillan and Houser (WU), 8-5
#3 - Friedman and Drew Cohn (PP) defeated Sepenzis and Luke Lagattuta (WU), 8-5
Records: Willamette is 0-1 overall; Pomona-Pitzer is 1-0 overall.
