The Whitworth men’s tennis team posted two victories this weekend, advancing to 5-3 in the Northwest Conference The first win came against the University of Puget Sound on Friday, March 12, followed by a win on Saturday afternoon versus Pacific Lutheran University.
The match on Friday began poorly for the Pirates, with senior Michael Shelton and junior Colin Zalewski falling in a close No. 1 doubles match. The Bucs responded at the No. 2 doubles spot with junior Joe Wales and freshman Cameron Williams, who defeated their opponents 8-1. The Bucs fell in the No. 3 doubles match to give the Loggers a 2-1 lead.
The Pirates came out firing in the singles matches, winning all six in straight sets. Shelton and Zalewski cruised to victory in the No. 1 and No. 2 matches, respectively, and the final four matches went equally well for the Bucs.
“We’re fairly confident in our singles games,” junior Henry Williams said. “We know we can play boldly and hang with them.”
The second match, against the Pacific Lutheran Lutes, started out in much the same way as the previous game. Shelton and Zalewski fell at No. 1 doubles, as did senior Kellen Oetgen and junior Colin Barrett at the No. 3 spot in a close match. Cameron Williams and Wales were able to come through in an 8-6 victory to keep the score close at 2-1, PLU. The Bucs took five of the six singles matches, making the final score 6-3, Pirates.
The Pirate victory marks the first time Whitworth has beaten the Lutes in 19 years, with the last win coming on April 13, 1991. The victory meant a great deal to the team.
“It was probably one of the best moments of my life,” Oetgen said regarding the victory. “Just knowing that we got the win and knocked PLU off was great.”
The two victories also place the Bucs on a three-game winning streak. The team will look to continue this momentum as it goes into four big matches in California over the break.
Contact Peter Landgren at peter.landgren@whitworthian.com.
Tennis singles out Lutes
Published: Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Updated: Tuesday, March 16, 2010
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