Willamette Routs Pacific, 9-0, in Men's Tennis

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

SALEM, ORE. -- Willamette University ended the regular season with a 9-0 victory over Pacific University on Sunday, April 13 at the WU Tennis Courts. The win enabled the Bearcats to finish fifth in the Northwest Conference standings at 8-8, one match in front of the University of Puget Sound, which took sixth place at 7-9.

WU improved to 8-9 on the season. Pacific completed its schedule with a 1-16 overall record and a 1-15 mark in the NWC.

The Bearcats will begin the NWC Tournament on Friday, April 18 in Yakima, Wash., against #4-seeded Whitworth University (10-6). Puget Sound will start tournament play against the #3 seed, Linfield College (11-5). Whitman College, in first place at 16-0, and Pacific Lutheran University, in second at 14-2, receive first round byes. The tournament will conclude on Saturday, April 19.

WU's sweep of doubles play against Pacific included two close wins. At #1 doubles, Micah Mack (So., Wenatchee, WA/Wenatchee HS) and Matt Houser (Fr., Vancouver, WA/Evergreen HS) edged past Michael Okada and Justin Kinney, 9-7. At #2 doubles, Fitz Paccione (Sr., Encinitas, CA/Cathedral Catholic HS) and Luke Lagattuta (So., Albuquerque, NM/Highland HS) held off Patrick Kinghorn and Nhat Nguyen, 8-5.

The #3 doubles match was own by Jordan Helvie (Fr., Boise, ID/Bishop Kelly HS) and Shawn Mahmood (Fr., Gresham, OR/La Salle HS). They defeated Aaron Shapiro and Ryan Ford, 8-2.

The top singles match was won by Eric MacMillan (Sr., Twin Falls, ID/Twin Falls HS), who defeated Okada, 6-3, 6-2. Mack won #2 singles over Kinghorn, 7-5, 6-3. Paccione took #3 singles, Lagattuta won #4 singles and Alex Sepenzis (Jr., Denver, CO/Cherry Creek HS) swept through #5 singles. Michael Moore (Fr., Seattle, WA/Lakeside School) of Willamette won a close match at #6 singles over Shapiro, 6-4, 6-4.

Sunday, April 13
At Willamette University Tennis Courts, Salem, Ore.

Willamette University 9, Pacific University 0

Singles
#1 - Eric MacMillan (WU) defeated Michael Okada (PAC), 6-3, 6-2
#2 - Micah Mack (WU) defeated Patrick Kinghorn (PAC), 7-5, 6-3
#3 - Fitz Paccione (WU) defeated Justin Kinney (PAC), 6-1, 6-3
#4 - Luke Lagattuta (WU) defeated Nhat Nguyen (PAC), 6-0, 6-2
#5 - Alex Sepenzis (WU) defeated Jeffrey Lee (PAC), 6-0, 6-0
#6 - Michael Moore (WU) defeated Aaron Shapiro (PAC), 6-4, 6-4

Doubles
#1 - Mack and Matt Houser (WU) defeated Okada and Kinney (PAC), 9-7
#2 - Paccione and Lagattuta (WU) defeated Kinghorn and Nguyen (PAC), 8-5
#3 - Jordan Helvie and Shawn Mahmood (WU) defeated Shapiro and Ryan Ford (PAC), 8-2.

Records: Willamette is 8-9 overall, 8-8 in the NWC; Pacific is 1-16 overall, 1-15 in the NWC.