By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

FOREST GROVE, Ore. -- Andrew Kabacy (Jr., Vancouver, WA/Skyview HS) of Willamette University went 1-1 in a pair of matches at #1 singles on Saturday, April 3, as the Bearcats took on Pacific University in a men's tennis doubleheader at the Holce Tennis Courts. In the team competition, Pacific won the first match 9-0 and prevailed in the second match 8-1. The opener counted in the Northwest Conference standings while the second match was non-conference.

With the two wins, Boxers improved to 6-2 on the season, including 3-1 in the NWC. Willamette fell to 0-8 overall, 0-5 in the NWC.

In the first team match, Quentin Gonzalez of Pacific defeated Kabacy at #1 singles, 6-0, 6-0. In the second team match, Kabacy downed Garret Katayama of Pacific, 6-4, 6-4.

Joining Gonzalez as winners for the Boxers in singles play during the first match were Reyn Miyagawa at #2, Sean Murphy at #3, Rayden Murata at #4, Joey Hu at #5, and Joey Balleweg at #6. In the opening doubles matches of the day, Gonzalez and Murphy won the #1 match for Pacific over Kabacy and Gene Perle-Jones (Sr., Eugene, OR/North Eugene HS), 8-2. At #2 doubles, Rayden Murata and Miyagawa of Pacific moved past Quentin Nigbur (So., Newberg, OR/Newberg HS) and Andrew Kropp (So., Bend, OR/Summit HS) of Wu, 8-2. The Boxers also took #3 doubles, as Hu and Koby Murato defeated Luke Hiserman (Sr., Monterey, CA/Pacific Grove HS) and Jordan Megiveron of the Bearcats, 8-1.

During the second match, Rush Williams of Pacific won #3 singles in a close match against Nigbur of Willamette. Williams outlasted Nigbur in a super tie-breaker played instead of a third set to grab a 6-2, 3-6, 10-4 victory.

Also recording wins for the Boxers in singles action as part of the second match were Koby Murata at #2, Jeffery Kubots at #4, Matt Weiler at #5, and Cooper Rich at #6. In doubles, the #1 match went to Koby Murata and Rayden Murata of Pacific versus Kabacy and Nigbur, 8-1. In #2 doubles, Weiler and Rich won 8-4 for the Boxers against Perle-Jones and Kropp. At #3 doubles, the Pacific team of Williams and Kubota downed WU's team of Hiserman and Megiveron, 8-3.

Willamette will host George Fox University in a Northwest Conference match on Saturday, April 10 at the WU Tennis Courts. Match time is scheduled for 11 a.m. (PDT).