SPOKANE, WASH. -- Whitworth University won two singles matches in super tie-breakers, helping the Pirates sweep the singles action and defeat Willamette University, 8-1, in a Northwest Conference men's tennis match on Friday, March 16. Whitworth upped its record to 5-4 overall, 4-2 in the NWC, while the Bearcats fell to 3-4 overall, 3-4 in the NWC.
Whitworth held a slim 2-1 advantage after the doubles matches.
At #1 doubles, the Whitworth pair of Daniel Redfern and Cameron Williams held off Joshua Wong (Jr., Hilo, HI/Hilo HS) and Cody Ferguson (Sr., North Bend, OR/North Bend HS/Western Oregon Univ.), 8-5. The Pirates also won at #2 doubles, with Micah Spaun and Stefan Dernbach defeating Devin Abney (Fr., Shoreline, WA/Shorecrest HS)/U. of Redlands) and Garrett Vincent (So., Seattle, WA/Seattle Prep/Bellevue CC), 8-3.
The Bearcats claimed the #3 doubles match. Will Cooper (So., Gresham, OR/Centennial HS) and Cameron Thompson (Jr., Torrance, CA/North Torrance HS) outlasted John Talbot and Matt Gobel, 8-6.
Whitworth gradually pulled away during the singles competition, as the Pirates earned straight-set wins at the #1, #2, #3 and #6 positions. The #1 match was close, with Redfern defeating Wong, 7-5, 6-3. At #3 singles, Spaun won a battle with Vincent in the first set, 6-3, before winning the second set, 6-1.
The two matches requiring super tie-breakers were between Talbot and Cooper at #4 singles and between Dernbach and Abney at #5 singles. In the #4 match, Cooper won the first, 6-3, and Talbot took the second set, also 6-3. Talbot won the super tie-breaker played instead of a third set, 10-7. In the #5 match, Dernbach dropped the second set, but defeated Abney, 6-2, 4-6, 10-1.
Willamette has a full week without a match, but will return to action with four matches in four days during the team's Spring Break trip to Hawaii. The Bearcats will play Hawaii Pacific University on March 24, before facing University of Hawaii-Hilo on March 25 and taking on Brigham Young University-Hawaii on March 26 and March 27.
Will Cooper teamed with Cameron Thompson to defeat John Talbot and Matt Gobel at #3 doubles, 8-6.
