Kabacy is Victorious in Singles; Nigbur and Kropp Win in Doubles

Andrew Kabacy (Jr., Vancouver, WA/Skyview HS)
Andrew Kabacy (Jr., Vancouver, WA/Skyview HS)

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- Andrew Kabacy (Jr., Vancouver, WA/Skyview HS) rolled to a win at #1 singles, while Quentin Nigbur (So., Newberg, OR/Newberg HS) and Andrew Kropp (So., Bend, OR/Summit HS) prevailed in a tie-breaker at #2 doubles, as Willamette University took on the University of Puget Sound in men's tennis on Saturday, April 24. Puget Sound won the overall match 7-2.

The Loggers ended their season at 2-7 overall, 2-6 in the Northwest Conference. Willamette fell to 0-11 on the season, 2-7 in the NWC.

Kabacy defeated Joshua Wah-Blumberg of Puget Sound, 6-0, 6-1, in the top singles match. Mike Smolskis of Puget Sound won #2 singles by holding off Gene Perle-Jones (Sr., Eugene, OR/North Eugene HS) of WU in the first set, 6-3, and then capping off the second set with a tie-breaker win, 7-6 (11-9).

The #3 singles match between Nigbur of Willamette and Rene Del Barco of the Loggers went three sets. Del Barco rallied for a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory. At #4 singles, Julina Gioma won for Puget Sound, 6-1, 6-4, over Luke Hiserman (Sr., Monterey, CA/Pacific Grove HS). In the #5 singles match, Puget Sound's Nicholas Pulido defeated Kropp 6-2 in the first set, then outscored Kropp in the second set, 7-5. Both sets were very competitive at #6 singles, with Levi Buck of Puget Sound outlasting WU's Jordan Megiveron (So., Edmonds, WA/Edmonds-Woodway HS), 6-4, 7-5.

Smolskis and Del Barco of the Loggers prevailed at #1 doubles against Kabacy and Perle-Jones of WU in a tie-breaker, 8-7 (7-2). Nigbur and Kropp won in a similar manner for the Bearcats at #2 doubles, as they edged out Wah-Blumberg and Paul Wallace in a tie-breaker, 8-7 (7-5). The Puget Sound team of Pulido and Buck took #3 doubles by an 8-3 score against Hiserman and Megiveron.

The Bearcats will close out the season with a pair of matches against Whitworth University on Saturday, May 1 and Sunday, May 2. Saturday's match is slated to begin at 2 p.m. (PDT) and will count in the NWC standings. Sunday's match is set for 10 a.m. and will be non-conference. Both matches are scheduled to be played at the WU Tennis Courts.