By Evan Giddings, Student Assistant Athletics Communications Director

SALEM, Ore. -- The Willamette University men's tennis team will head to Walla Walla, Washington, on Saturday, April 11 to battle Whitman College, before the Bearcats make their way to Spokane, Washington, on Sunday, April 12 to take on Whitworth University. Match times at Whitman is set for 10 a.m. (PDT) with the start at Whiworth slated for 1 p.m.

Coming into the matches, the Bearcats are 3-10 overall and 3-4 in the Northwest Conference after coming off a close 5-4 win over University of Puget Sound on Sunday, April 5.

The team match was even at 4-4 going into #5 singles. Jacob Blaisdell (Fr., Honolulu, HI/Punahou School) of Willamette broke the tie by rallying in three sets to win,3-6, 6-4, 6-4, over Andrew Struzenberg in order to give the Bearcats the overall victory.

The other singles wins that helped contribute to the WU triumph came from Jack Schreiber (Sr., Solana Beach, CA/The Grauer School) at #2 and Blake Brash (Jr., Boise, ID/Boise HS) at #4. In doubles competition, the Bearcats toppled the Loggers at the #2 and #3 positions.

Willamette's #2 duo consisted of Sam Wexman (Jr., Tiburon, CA/Tamiscal HS) and Shrujan Kalidindi (Jr., Cupertino, CA/Monta Vista HS), who edge Daniel Deuel and Abe Noyes, 9-7. The #3 tandem of Schreiber and Derek Lund (Fr., Helena, MT/Capital HS) took their match, 8-5, against Colton Wright and Chet Selis.

The Bearcats' first opponent this weekend, nationally-ranked Whitman, enters as the top team in the NWC. The Missionaries are first in the standings with a 14-5 overall record and an undefeated 8-0 conference record. Whitman is ranked #15 in NCAA Division III and is #4 in the West Region.

In their last match, the Missionaries bested Whitworth University, 9-0. The singles lineup in the match saw Colton Malesovas (Sr.), Zach Hewlin (Fr.), Petar Jivkov (So.), Phillip Locklear (Jr.), Jake Hoeger (So.), and James Rivers (Sr.) playing #1 through #6, respectively.

Whitman's doubles teams featured Malesovas and Rivers at #1, Hoeger and Hewlin at #2, and Jivkov and Robert Carter (Fr.) finishing at #3.

On Sunday, Willamette will try to take on Whitworth, which is 3-9 overall and 3-5 in the NWC. The Pirates, who are coming off last weekend's loss to Whitman, will host Pacific University on Saturday at 3 p.m. (PDT) before facing the Bearcats.

Whitworth's singles play against Whitman was comprised of Drew Brigham at #1, Blake Miller (Jr.) at #2, Shane Sandlin (So.) at #3, Drew Adams (Jr.) at #4, Matt Goebel (Sr.) at #5, and Caleb Hughes (So.) at #6. In doubles, the duos were Brigham and Sandlin at #1, Hewlin and Goebel at #2, and Adams and Hughes at #3.