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

SALEM, ORE. -- The Willamette University women's tennis team opened the 2014 spring season with a 9-0 sweep of visiting Mills College (Calif.) on Sunday, Feb. 16 at the Courthouse Tennis Center. Willamette is 1-0, while the Cyclones dropped to 0-2.

Willamette kept control of the match with solid results throughout the lineup of Head Coach Becky Roberts.

At #1 doubles, senior Sabrina Gutierrez (Newbury Park, CA/Newbury Park HS) and junior Denise Poltavski (Woodland Hills, CA/El Camino Real HS) combined for an 8-1 run. The Bearcats prevailed at #2 doubles behind the efforts of Alicia Sohn (Fr., Tustin, CA/Arnold O. Beckman HS) and Nebraska Lucas (Fr., Portland, OR/Cleveland HS), 8-2.

The #3 doubles match was won by Emily Guimont (So., El Dorado Hills, CA/Folsom HS) of Willamette, 8-0.

Gutierrez registered a win over Phoebe Minette at #1 singles, 6-0, 6-2. Poltavski did not lose a game at #2 doubles as he moved past Alice Hewitt of Mills, 6-0, 6-0.

Also achieving victories in singles were Sohn at #3, Guimont at #4, Lucas at #5 and Taylor Coggshall (Fr., Sacramento, CA/Rio Americano HS) at #6. WU never lost more than two games in any set.

Willamette will open Northwest Conference play on Friday, Feb. 21 at Whitworth University in Spokane, Wash., at 3:30 p.m. (PST). The Bearcats are scheduled to conclude the road trip at Whitman College on Saturday, Feb. 22, with match time set for 12 p.m. (PST).