By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

SALEM, ORE. -- The Willamette University women's tennis team, one of four teams competing this weekend (April 16-17) at the Northwest Conference Tournament in Spokane, Wash., will open the event by taking on top-seeded Whitworth University in the semifinals. In the other semifinal match, Linfield College, seeded #2, will take on the #3 seed, Whitman College.

The Bearcats and Whitworth will play at 10 a.m. (PDT) on Saturday, April 16. The match between Linfield and Whitman will start at 2 p.m.

Winners in the semifinal matches will advance into the tournament final on Sunday, April 17. Match time for the final is scheduled for 10 a.m. (PDT).

Willamette, seeded #4, is 10-6 on the season, including 7-5 in the Northwest Conference. The Bearcats are ranked #11 in the West Region of NCAA Division III. Whitworth is 16-2 overall and 12-0 in the NWC.

Natalia Agarycheva (Sr., Vancouver, WA/Prairie HS/U. of Northern Colorado) plays #1 singles and #1 doubles for Willamette. In singles, she owns a 14-1 overall record and an 11-0 record in the Northwest Conference. Her only loss was to Yuki Sugiyama of NCAA Division I opponent Portland State University.

In doubles, Agarycheva and Shannon Palmer (Jr., Salem, OR/Sprague HS) have combined for a 13-2 record, including 10-1 in the NWC. They have won 13 consecutive matches since falling to Sugiyama and Anya Dalton of Portland State on Feb. 13.

For Whitworth, Rachel Burns is ranked #8 in the Region. Burns and Alli Marshall are listed at #10 in the Region in doubles.

Linfield owns a 13-4 record with an 11-1 NWC mark. The Wildcats are ranked #9 in the Region. Whitman has achieved an 11-8 overall record to go with a 9-3 record in the NWC. The Missionaries are ranked #10 in the Region.

The winner of the NWC Tournament will receive the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III National Tournament.