TACOMA, WASH. -- Pacific Lutheran University swept past the Willamette University men's tennis team, 9-0, in a Northwest Conference match at the University of Puget Sound Tennis Pavilion. PLU improved to 9-5 overall, 9-2 in the NWC, while Willamette fell to 5-5 on the season, 5-4 in the NWC.
The Lutes opened the match by winning all three doubles contests. Willamette's #2 double team of Eric MacMillan (Sr., Twin Falls, ID/Twin Falls HS) and Matt Houser (Fr., Vancouver, WA/Evergreen HS) provided strong opposition, but were edged by Justin Peterson and Michael Manser, 8-6.
In singles, only the #5 position went to three sets. Luke Lagattuta (So., Albuquerque, NM/Highland HS) of Willamette won the first set against Scott Sheldon of PLU, 6-3. Sheldon evened the match by winning the second set 7-6 with a 7-3 score in the tie-breaker. The match was decided by a super tie-breaker instead of a third set, with Sheldon defeating Lagattuta, 10-6.
At #1 singles, Kevin Floyd of PLU defeated MacMillan, 6-2, 6-1. The #1 doubles match was won by Floyd and Justin Larimore for the Lutes, 8-3, over Andrew Murakami (Jr., Wahiawa, HI/University of Redlands) and Micah Mack (So., Wenatchee, WA/Wenatchee HS).
The Bearcats will play NWC rival Linfield College on Sunday, March 16 in McMinnville, Ore.. Match time is scheduled for 1 p.m. (PDT). On Feb.17, Willamette edged the Wildcats, 5-4, in a match that featured tight competition throughout the singles and doubles line-up and was not decided until the final singles match ended.
Saturday, March 15
At UPS Tennis Pavilion, Tacoma, Wash.
Pacific Lutheran University 9, Willamette University 0
Singles
#1 - Kevin Floyd (PLU) defeated Eric MacMillan (WU), 6-2, 6-1
#2 - Justin Larimore (PLU) defeated Matt Houser (WU), 6-3, 6-2
#3 - Justin Peterson (PLU) defeated Andrew Murakami (WU), 6-2, 6-2
#4 - Michael Manser (PLU) defeated Fitz Paccione (WU), 6-4, 6-2
#5 - Scott Sheldon (PLU) defeated Luke Lagattuta (WU), 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 10-6*
#6 - Tory Silvestrin (PLU) defeated Alex Sepenzis (WU), 6-1, 6-2
Doubles
#1 - Floyd and Larimore (PLU) defeated Murakami and Mack (WU), 8-4
#2 - Peterson and Manser (PLU) defeated MacMillan and Houser (WU), 8-6
#3 - Sheldon and Jared Vidano (PLU) defeated Paccione and Lagattuta (WU), 8-3
* Tie-breaker played instead of a third set
Records: Pacific Lutheran is 9-5 overall, 9-2 in the NWC; Willamette is 5-5 overall, 5-4 in the NWC.
