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

SALEM, ORE. -- George Fox University rallied past Willamette University in women's tennis on Friday, April 11 for a 5-4 Northwest Conference victory over the Bearcats at the WU Tennis Courts. GFU improved to 7-10 overall, 3-7 in the NWC. The Bearcats fell to 4-7, including 2-7 in the NWC.

Willamette led 2-1 after wins at #1 and #3 doubles.

Sabrina Gutierrez (Sr., Newbury Park, CA/Newbury Park HS) and Denise Poltavski (Jr., Woodland Hills, CA/El Camino Real HS) improved to 10-1 on the season with an 8-0 win over Alyssa Emoto and Krista Rey in the #1 doubles match. At #3 doubles, WU's team of Olina Cavedoni (Fr., Kamuela, HI/Hawaii Preparatory Academy) and Taylor Coggeshall (Fr., Sacramento, CA/Rio Americano HS), downed Shelby Arnold and Ilsa Teppo, 8-3.

GFU took #2 doubles, as Megan Dahlberg and Ali Diehl defeated Emily Guimont (Jr., El Dorado Hills, CA/Folsom HS) and Alicia Sohn (Fr., Tustin, CA/Arnold O. Beckman HS, 8-5.

Sohn was injured during the doubles match and had to withdraw from #3 singles. Willamette's #4, #5 and #6 players each moved up a spot in the lineup. The Bearcats won at #1 and #2 singles, but George Fox prevailed at #3, #4 and #5, in addition to winning #6 by default.

At #1 singles, Gutierrez breezed to a 6-1 win against Emoto in the first set. She had to fight off Emoto in the second set, but prevailed in a tie-breaker, 7-6 (7-4), to win the match. Gutierrez, who improved to 8-3 overall, is ranked #20 in singles in the West Region of NCAA Division III.

Poltavski rolled past Rey at #2 singles, taking a 6-1, 6-0 victory. Poltavski is 9-2 in singles this spring.

Dahlberg of GFU defeated Guimont in the #3 singles match, 6-2, 6-0. Diehl won at #4 singles for the Bruins, 6-2, 6-1, against Cavedoni.

At #5 singles, Arnold from George Fox won the first set versus Coggeshall, 6-1. Arnold triumphed in a much closer second set, holding leads of 3-2 and 4-3, before winning 6-4.

Willamette will play at Pacific University on Saturday, April 12. Match time in Forest Grove, Ore., is slated for 10 a.m. (PDT).