By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

TACOMA, Wash. -- Andrew Kabacy (Grad., Vancouver, WA/Skyview HS) and Quentin Nigbur (Sr., Newberg, OR/Newberg HS) combined for Willamette University to earn a win at #1 doubles, and Kabacy added a win at #1 singles, but the University of Puget Sound won the team match, 7-2, in Northwest Conference men's tennis action on Friday, March 8. The Loggers improved to 2-6 overall, 1-1 in the NWC, while Willamette fell to 0-8 on the season, 0-3 in the NWC.

Kabacy and Nigbur registered a solid 8-3 victory over Noah Henderson and Conor Blakeney of Puget Sound in the #1 doubles match. PS won at #2 and #3 doubles, including a triumph by Jason Rowe and Matthew Zou at the #2 position over AJ Avansino (So., Reno, NV/Reno HS) and Zack Olander (Fy., Bend, OR/Summit HS) of WU, 8-3. The #3 matchup was won by Will Church and Brayden Sawyer against Velibor Mladenovic (So., Belgrade, Serbia/First Belgrade Grammar School) and Andre Lief (Jr., Anchorage, AK/West Anchorage HS), 8-1.

In #1 singles, Kabacy outscored Rowe in straight sets, winning 6-3, 6-2. At #2 singles, Henderson of the Loggers outlasted Mladenovic in a close second set to win 6-1, 7-5. Both sets were close at #3 singles, as Carson Ward of PS held off Nigbur of the Bearcats, 6-4, 6-4.

Church was victorious for Puget Sound at #4 singles. He defeated WU's Avansino, 6-3, 6-1. Zou took #5 singles against Olander of Willamette, 6-3, 6-3. Tyler Blixt also won for the Loggers at #5 singles, as he downed Lief, 6-1, 6-3.

Willamette will play another NWC match on Friday, March 15, when the Bearcats are set to host Pacific University. Match time is scheduled for 4 p.m. PDT at the WU Tennis Courts if the weather permits or at the Salem Tennis and Swim Club if the match has to move indoors.