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

SALEM, ORE. -- Whitman College, ranked #8 nationally in NCAA Division III men's tennis, defeated Willamette University, 9-0, at the Courthouse Tennis Center on Monday, March 12. The Missionaries improved to 12-3 overall, 8-0 in the Northwest Conference. Willamette fell to 3-3 overall, 3-3 in the NWC.

The Bearcats provided the Missionaries with plenty of solid competition, but were unable to outlast Whitman's quality lineup. At least one set in each of the top five singles matches was decided by a score of 6-3 or closer. Whitman won one set in a tie-breaker and claimed two more sets by 7-5 scores.

At #1 singles, Whitman's Andrew La Cava, ranked #2 in the West Region, downed Joshua Wong (Jr., Hilo, HI/Hilo HS) of Willamette, 6-3, 7-5. Jeff Tolman won #2 singles for Whitman, 6-3, 6-3, against Cody Ferguson (Sr., Bend, OR/Bend HS/Western Oregon Univ.).

Conor Holton-Burke needed a tie-breaker in the second set to defeat WU's Garrett Vincent (So., Seattle, WA/Seattle Prep/Bellevue CC) at #3 singles, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4). James Rivers won #4 singles, Sam Sadeghi took #5 singles and Adriel Borshansky triumphed at #6 singles to complete the sweep by Whitman.

Rivers outscored Will Cooper (So., Gresham, OR/Centennial HS), 6-2, 7-5, while Sadeghi was victorious over Devin Abney (Fr., Shoreline, WA/Shorecrest HS/U. of Redlands), 6-4, 6-1. Borshansky downed Will Agnew Svoboda (So., Corvallis, OR/Corvallis HS), 6-0, 6-1.

Whitman gained a 3-0 lead after winning all three of the doubles matches.

At #1 doubles, Holton-Burke and Matt Tesman recorded an 8-4 win over Vincent and Abney. In the #2 doubles match, La Cava and Tolman held off Wong and Ferguson, 8-5. At #3 doubles, Rivers and Sadeghi defeated Cooper and Cameron Thompson (Jr., Torrance, CA/North Torrance HS).

Willamette will travel to Spokane, Wash., later this week to take on Whitworth University in Northwest Conference action on Friday, March 16. After taking on Whitworth, the Bearcats will have eight days without a match before playing Hawaii Pacific University, the University of Hawaii-Hilo and Brigham Young University-Hawaii (twice) between March 24 and March 27 in Hawaii.