By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- Richelle Suzuki (So., Mililani, HI/Mililani HS) and Alexa De Crinis (Fy., Makawao, HI/Seabury Hall School) won their first match in the double bracket at the ITA Northwest Regional on Saturday, Sept. 24, before falling in the Round of 16 to one of the four teams seeded #5 through #8 in the 32-team bracket. The tournament is being hosted by Whitman College.
In the doubles opener, Suzuki and De Crinis zoomed past Chloe Ivy-Curwen and Zoe Richter from the University of Puget Sound, 8-0. The Bearcat duo advanced to take on Ellie Mangan and Olivia Morris from George Fox University. Mangan and Morris won the match, 8-2.
Also for Willamette in doubles, Ruby Blake (Jr., La Crosse, WI/Central HS) and Ruby Thompson (Jr., Bay City, OR/Tillamook HS) lost to Gracie Smyley and Rose Matsunaga of Whitworth University in the first round, 8-2. Blake and Thompson fell to Susanna Anand and Arielle Bloom of Lewis & Clark College, 8-2, in a consolation doubles match.
Several Bearcats competed in singles action at the ITA Northwest Regional on Saturday. Suzuki played Camilla Tarpey-Schwed of Whitman, one of four players seeded #5 through #8 in the "A" singles bracket, in the first round. Tarpey-Schwed won, 6-0, 6-0. De Crinis fell to Mangan of GFU in the first round of the "A" single bracket, 6-1, 6-3. In the first round of the "B" singles bracket, Blake lost to Sujhad Amado Aguad of Lewis & Clark, 6-1, 6-0, and Marie Tarrab (Fy., Turner, OR) was defeated by Elizabeth Hopkins from Whitworth, 6-2, 6-0.
In "A" consolation singles matches, Suzuki had to default due to injury in her match with Meredith Bedford of Whitworth. Also in the "A" consolation bracket, De Crinis was defeated by Smyley from Whitworth, 8-3. Blake and Tarrab each lost in the "B" consolation singles bracket, with Blake falling to Hyla Chatham from Puget Sound, 8-2, and Tarrab dropping an 8-3 result to Yenenesh Cohen of Lewis & Clark.
Willamette's action in the tournament ended on Saturday, but the ITA Northwest Regional will continue through Monday, Sept. 26.
