By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

TACOMA, Wash. -- Gene Perle-Jones (Sr., Eugene, OR/North Eugene HS) of Willamette University won #2 singles for Willamette University against Pacific Lutheran University's Marcus Lee on Saturday, March 20, but the Lutes defeated the Bearcats in the overall match, 7-2. PLU improved to 2-2 on the season, 1-2 in the NWC, while the Bearcats slipped to 0-4 overall, 0-3 in the NWC.

Perle-Jones downed Lee, 6-2, 6-2. The Bearcats also picked up a win at #3 doubles for Luke Hiserman (Sr., Monterey, CA/Pacific Grove HS) and Jordan Megiveron (So., Edmonds, WA/Edmonds-Woodway HS), as PLU's Sam Kwon and Branson Near had to stop playing due to an injury.

The Lutes won the other two doubles matches. At #1 doubles, Michael Campbell and Lee edged out Perle-Jones and Andrew Kabacy (Jr., Vancouver, WA/Skyview HS) in a tie-breaker, 8-7 (9-7). At #2 doubles, Derek Stone and Alex Richter of PLU defeated Quentin Nigbur (So., Newberg, OR/Newberg HS) and Andrew Kropp (So., Bend, OR/Summit HS), 8-3.

Campbell outlasted Kabacy at #1 singles, as he grabbed a 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory for the Lutes. Stone also needed three sets to move past Nigbur, 5-7, 6-3, 6-3. Other winners in singles matches for PLU were Richter at #4, Kwon at #5, and Near at #6. Richter swept through the first set at #4 singles, 6-0, before narrowly defeating Hiserman, 6-4, in the second set.

Willamette's next match is scheduled for Saturday, March 27 at the WU Tennis Courts against Lewis & Clark College. The match is slated to get underway at 11 a.m. (PDT).