By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- Lewis & Clark College, ranked #32 in the NCAA Division III Poll released by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, swept the singles and doubles matches on Sunday, January 29, as the Pioneers defeated Willamette University, 9-0, in the Northwest Conference opener for both teams.

The match at the WU Tennis Courts also was the season opener for L&C, which moved to 1-0 overall and 1-0 in the NWC. Willamette fell to 0-2 on the season, 0-1 in the NWC.

Lewis & Clark,  ranked #8 in the West Region, gained an early lead with strong play during the doubles matches. At #1 doubles, L&C's team of Gordon Barrows and Brenden Barrows outlasted Gunnar Lee (Sr., Hilo, HI/St. Joseph School) and Aaron Schechter (So., Seattle, WA/James A. Garfield HS) of Willamette, 8-5.

In the #2 doubles match, Michael Brewer and David Furman won for the Pioneers, 8-3, over Hunter Yee (Fr., Honolulu, HI/Punahou School) and Colin Fisher (Fr., Caldwell, ID/Thomas Jefferson Charter School) of WU. At #3 doubles, Ben DeLuca and Pim Trouerbach from L&C defeated Douglas Hochmuth (Sr./So., Oakland, CA/Bishop O'Dowd HS) and Derek Lund (Jr., Helena, MT/Capital HS), 8-2.

The Pioneers won all six singles matches in straight sets, but several of the sets were close.

At #1 singles, Brewer outlasted Lee after a highly-competitive first set. The players held serve until Lee earned a service break to go up 5-4. Brewer countered with a service break of his own and eventually won the set, 7-6, after winning a tie-breaker, 7-4. Brewer prevailed in the second set, 6-1.

Furman won #4 singles against Hochmuth, but gained only a slim 6-4 win in the first set, before taking the second set, 6-1. In the #5 singles match, DeLuca defeated Fisher 6-0 in the first set, but had more difficulty in earning a 6-3 win in the second set. Brenden Barrows took #6 singles over Lund with a 6-2 win the first set, followed by a close 6-4 victory in the second set.

Willamette will be back in action with an exhibition match against the University of Oregon Club team on Sunday, Feb. 12. Game time in Eugene, Oregon, is scheduled for 12 p.m. (PST).