By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- Willamette University men's tennis players Andrew Kabacy (Jr., Vancouver, WA/Skyview HS), Andrew Kropp (So., Bend, OR/Summit HS), and Jordan Megiveron (So., Edmonds, WA/Edmonds-Woodway HS) each won a singles match, but Whitworth University downed the Bearcats, 5-4, in non-conference play at the WU Tennis Courts on Sunday, May 2. Kabacy combined with Gene Perle-Jones (Sr., Eugene, OR/North Eugene HS) to win the top doubles match for the Bearcats.

Whitworth improved to 6-12 overall, while Willamette concluded its season at 0-13.

Kabacy and Perle-Jones grabbed the #1 doubles match, 8-6, over Brendan Archer and Ethan Violette from Whitworth. The Pirates claimed #2 doubles, as Kincaid Norris and Cameron Brewer downed Quentin Nigbur (So., Newberg, OR/Newberg HS) and Kropp, 8-3. At #3 doubles, Jonathan Hutley and Nathan Tjelle of Whitworth outlasted Willamette's Luke Hiserman (Sr., Monterey, CA/Pacific Grove HS) and Megiveron in a tie-breaker, 8-7 (7-4).

Willamette trailed 2-1 after the doubles matches. The Pirates held on by winning three of the six singles matches. Even so, the Bearcats held a 4-3 lead during the singles competition, before Whitworth was victorious at #3 singles and #4 singles to clinch the overall win.

Kropp triumphed at #5 singles for the Bearcats, as he defeated Alex D'Agostino, 6-3, 6-0. After Kincaid of Whitworth outscored Perle-Jones, 6-2, 6-3, Willamette tacked on two more wins. First, Megiveron rolled past Matt Verschoor at #6 singles, 6-2, 6-1. Then Kabacy prevailed at #1 singles against Hutley, 6-2, 7-5.

The #3 singles match was close, with Tjelle of Whitworth downing Nigbur of Willamette, 6-4, 7-5. At #4 singles, Ethan Warring of the Pirates outlasted Willamette's Hiserman in a tie-breaker to end the first set, 7-6 (8-6). Warring won the second set, 6-0.