Whitworth women’s tennis continued league dominance this past weekend on the road, extending their winning streak to eight matches and maintaining a perfect NWC record. Friday’s win came at the hands of Willamette in Salem, Ore. The team faced Lewis & Clark College and George Fox University on Saturday.
The first match Willamette won as senior Rachel Burns and sophomore Alli Marshall fell 8-3 in No. 1 doubles.
The Pirates shot back in the No. 2 and No. 3 doubles, winning both matches.
The match finished with a 7-2 Whitworth victory.
The next match of the weekend, against L&C, went equally well for the Pirates. The Bucs cruised to a 6-3 victory over the Pioneers, dropping them to 3-1 overall and 3-1 in conference.
The match against George Fox, the third and final one of the weekend, ended well for the Pirates and was a good cap to a successful road trip. The visiting Bucs rolled over the Bruins, winning 7-0.
The three wins secure the Pirate women’s standing as the top team in the NWC. The team will go on to play against Pacific Lutheran University and the University of Puget Sound on the road next Saturday.
The Whitworth men’s tennis team went 1-1 this weekend, first falling in a 4-5 match against Willamette on Friday, March 5 in the Scotford Tennis Center. The Pirates rebounded on Saturday, coming out and smashing Lewis & Clark in a 9-0 victory.
The Lewis & Clark match started out well for the Pirates, with two wins in the three doubles matches. Junior Colin Zalewski and senior Michael Shelton knocked off their opponents 8-5 in No. 1 doubles, followed by another 8-5 victory at No. 2 doubles by freshman Cameron Williams and junior Joe Wales.
The Pirates went 1-2 in the next three singles matches, tying the score and setting the stage for a nail-biting finish. Shelton managed to pull out a comeback victory over the Bearcat’s Michael Baumgartner at the No. 1 spot, but Zalewski and Cameron Williams fell at the No. 2 and 3 spots, respectively.
“It was a really great victory for Michael,” junior Kellen Oetgen said. “Seeing him come out so strong after the first set was really impressive.”
In the final sets of the match, Oetgen won in straight sets over his opponent. However, Henry Williams and Wales lost in the final two matches, giving the Bearcats the victory by one point.
“There were a few matches that could have gone either way. We’re very excited to play them again,” Oetgen said after the match.
The Bucs will face Willamette again in the final weeks of the season.
The second match of the weekend was played outside on the Whitworth outdoor courts. The Pirates swept through the doubles matches, giving up a meager two points in the three matches.
The singles matches also went very well for the Pirates, who swept all six games in straight sets. The loss drops Lewis & Clark to 0-10 overall and 0-8 in conference.
The weekend advances the Pirates record to 3-7 overall and 3-3 in the NWC. Men’s tennis will face UPS and PLU next weekend at home.
Contact Peter Landgren at peter.landgren@whitworthian.com.
Buc women sweep, men split
Published: Monday, March 8, 2010
Updated: Tuesday, March 9, 2010
 "Photo: David Rurik/Whitworthian")
David Rurik/Whitworthian
Freshman Cameron Williams serves the ball in his match against Willamette on Friday.
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