By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- Andrew Kabacy (Grad., Vancouver, WA/Skyview HS) improved to 2-0 in singles and 2-0 in doubles this weekend after earning victories against Whitman College on Sunday, April 2 at the Salem Tennis and Swim Club. Kabacy also won his singles and doubles matches with Whitworth University on Saturday. The 4-0 weekend for Kabacy extended his winning streak to five matches in singles, while increasing his winning streak with teammate Velibor Mladenovic (Fy., Belgrade, Serbia/First Belgrade Grammar School) to five matches in doubles.

Whitman claimed victory in the team match over the Bearcats, 7-2. The Blues moved to 5-12 on the season, 5-1 in the NWC, while Willamette ended the day at 0-12 overall, 1-6 in the NWC.

Kabacy won the first set versus Harshvardhan Chopra of Whitman, 6-3, but lost the second set 7-5. Kabacy outscored Chopra 10-4 in a super tie-breaker played instead of a third set, as he prevailed in the match. At #1 doubles, Kabacy and Mladenovic worked their way past the Blues' team of Chopra and Diego Guzman, 8-2.

The streaks involving Kabacy and Mladenovic have included wins over players from the University of Puget Sound, East Texas Baptist University, Colorado College, Whitworth and Whitman.

Whitman gained a 2-1 lead in doubles during Sunday's match. At #2 doubles, Lucas Huang and Noah Baker downed Andrew Kropp (Sr., Bend, OR/Summit HS) and Quentin Nigbur (Sr., Newberg, OR/Newberg HS), 8-3. At #3 doubles, Artem Manov and Charles Rush won for the Blues against Andre Lief (So., Anchorage, AK/West Anchorage HS) and Luca Casano (Fy., Honolulu, HI/Punahou School), 8-1.

Although Whitman prevailed in the #2 through #6 singles matches, the Blues needed one close win in three of those matches to prevent a third set or a super tie-breaker. In #2 singles, Guzman held off Mladenovic in the first set, 6-4, before taking the second set, 6-1. At #3 singles, Huang won against Nigbur by a 6-4 margin in the first set and then claimed the second set, 6-0. At #6 singles, Luca Viarengo defeated Lief, 6-4, 6-0.

Other singles winners for the Blues were Baker at #4 and Alejandro Raffo at #5.

Willamette does not play again until Sunday, April 16, when it will be Senior Day for the Bearcats at the WU Tennis Courts as they take on George Fox University. Match time is scheduled for 11 a.m. (PDT).