By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Lewis & Clark College downed Willamette University 9-0 in a non-conference men's tennis match between Northwest Conference opponents on Sunday, Feb. 26 at the LC Tennis Dome. Lewis & Clark ended the match with a 1-7 record, while Willamette fell to 0-5. The teams will meet at L&C for a second time on Sunday, March 5 to play an NWC match at 11 a.m. (PST).

Before taking on the Pioneers on March 5, the Bearcats will play at home on Saturday, March 4 against NWC rival Linfield University. Match time at the WU Tennis Courts is set for 11 a.m. (PST). If the weather forces the match indoors, it will be played at the Salem Tennis and Swim Club.

In Sunday's first meeting at L&C, the Pioneers opened the match with three wins in doubles. At #1 doubles, Kristian Peev and Wade McDermott defeated WU's Andrew Kabacy (Grad., Vancouver, WA/Skyview HS) and Quentin Nigbur (Sr., Newberg, OR/Newberg HS), 8-2. In the #2 match, Kai Wills and Matt Chio were victorious against Velibor Mladenovic (Fy., Belgrade, Serbia/First Belgrade Grammar School) and Andrew Kropp (Sr., Bend, OR/Summit HS), 8-3. The #3 doubles match was closely contested with Alberto Dos Santos and Logan Hausler of L&C holding off Andre Lief (So., Anchorage, AK/West Anchorage HS) and Luca Casano (Fy., Honolulu, HI/Punahou School) of Willamette. 8-6.

Two L&C players rallied from one set down to win matches in singles. Chio edged out a victory over Nigbur, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3, at #3 singles, and Wills battled past Kropp at #4 singles, also winning 4-6, 6-1, 6-3.

Peev from L&C took the #1 singles match against Kababy in two tight sets, 7-5, 7-5. Other winners for the Pioneers in singles were Dos Santos at #2, McDermott at #5, and Gazor at #6.