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

LOS ALTOS, CALIF. -- Foothills College won four of six singles matches to extend a 2-1 lead gained in doubles and defeat visiting Willamette University, 6-3, in a men's tennis exhibition match on Thursday, March 27. It was an exhibition for the Bearcats because the NCAA does not count competition against two-year colleges in a team's win-loss record.

The Owls gained their early advantage with wins at #1 and #3 doubles.

In the top doubles match, Wallace Lau and Brenden Lum earned an 8-1 victory over Will Cooper (Sr., Gresham, OR/Centennial HS) and Gunnar Lee (So., Hilo, HI/St. Joseph HS). At #3 doubles, Alvaro Varon and James Ham of Foothills downed Jack Schreiber (Jr., Solana Beach, CA/The Grauer School) and Shrujan Kalidindi (So., Cupertino, CA/Monta Vista HS), 8-4.

Willamette earned a win at #2 doubles, with Sam Wexman (So., Tiburon, CA/Tamiscal HS) and Blake Brash (So., Boise, ID/Boise HS) easily defeating Alvaro De Landaluce and Eric Nishimatsu, 8-1.

Brash also registered a victory for the Bearcats at #4 singles, where he defeated Ham, 6-3, 6-2. Lee added a win for Willamette at #5 singles, as he moved past De Landaluce, 6-3, 6-0.

Although Foothills took wins in four singles matches, two of the triumphs were achieved in competitive three-set matches. At #1 singles, Lau of Foothills edged out Wexman, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. In the #6 singles match, Nishimatsu defeated Kalidindi, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.

Lum won #2 singles for the Owls against Cooper of Willamette, 6-0, 6-2. Schreiber played a very close first set for the Bearcats at #3 singles before falling to Varon, 7-5, 6-1.

Willamette will complete its Spring Break trip to California on Friday, March 28, when the Bearcats take on Santa Clara University from NCAA Division I. The Broncos compete in the West Coast Conference, while Willamette is a member of NCAA Division III and the Northwest Conference. Match time in Santa Clara, Calif., is set for 2 p.m. (PDT).

Thursday, March 27

At Foothills Tennis Courts, Los Altos, Calif.
Foothills College 6, Willamette University 3 (Exhibition)

Singles

#1 - Wallace Lau (FC) defeated Sam Wexman (WU), 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
#2 - Brenden Lum (FC) defeated Will Cooper (WU), 6-0, 6-2
#3 - Alvaro Varon (FC) defeated Jack Schreiber (WU), 7-5, 6-1
#4 - Blake Brash (WU) defeated James Ham (FC), 6-3, 6-2
#5 - Gunnar Lee (WU) defeated Alvaro De Landaluce (FC), 6-3, 6-0
#6 - Eric Nishimatsu (FC) defeated Shrujan Kalidindi (WU), 6-2, 4-6, 6-4

Doubles
#1 - Lau and Lum (FC) defeated Cooper and Lee (WU), 8-1
#2 - Wexman and Brash (WU) defeated De Landaluce and Nishimatsu (FC), 8-1
#3 - Varon and Ham (FC) defeated Schreiber and Kalidindi (WU), 8-4