Bearcats Use Strong Singles Play to Down Linfield, 6-3
SALEM, ORE. -- For the second match in a row, the Willamette University Bearcats rallied from a 2-1 deficit after doubles to defeat a Northwest Conference opponent, as WU rolled up five wins in singles play to down Linfield College, 6-3, on Saturday, March 3. The match was played at the Courthouse Tennis Center in Salem, Ore.
Wong Defeats Levien in Top Match, 6-1, 6-1
SALEM, ORE. -- For the second match in a row, the Willamette University Bearcats rallied from a 2-1 deficit after doubles to defeat a Northwest Conference opponent, as WU rolled up five wins in singles play to down Linfield College, 6-3, on Saturday, March 3. The match was played at the Courthouse Tennis Center in Salem, Ore.
Willamette upped its mark to 2-1 on the season, 2-1 in the NWC, while Linfield fell to 1-4, 1-3 in the NWC.
The win followed a similar pattern to the Bearcats' 6-3 victory at Lewis & Clark College on Friday, Mar. 2 in Portland, Ore. In that match, WU lost two doubles matches, but claimed wins at 5 of 6 singles positions, losing only at #1 singles. Against Linfield on Saturday, Willamette's only loss in singles play was at the #2 position.
Joshua Wong (Jr., Hilo, HI/Hilo HS) of Willamette defeated Linfield's Cody Levien at #1 singles, 6-1, 6-1. Wong also contributed to Willamette's win at #2 doubles, as he combined with Cody Ferguson (Sr., North Bend, OR/North Bend HS/Western Oregon Univ.) to shut out Micah Roos and Lukas Kleinman, 8-0.
Linfield won #1 and #3 doubles. In the #1 doubles match, Levien and Zach Lyons downed Devin Abney (Fr., Shoreline, WA/Shorecrest HS/U. of Redlands) and Garrett Vincent (So., Seattle, WA/Seattle Prep/Bellevue CC), 8-4. Ben Brewer and Joel Trousdale took #3 doubles over Will Cooper (So., Gresham, OR/Centennial HS) and Cameron Thompson (Jr., Torrance, CA/North Torrance HS), 8-6.
Lyons triumphed against Vincent at #2 singles, 6-0, 6-3, but the Bearcats gained wins in the bottom four singles matches.
Ferguson won #3 singles, 6-1, 2-6, 6-3, as he held off a comeback bid by Roos. At #4 singles, Cooper defeated Kleinman, 6-3, 6-4, while Abney won #5 singles, 6-4, 6-2, over Brewer. Will Agnew-Svoboda (So., Corvallis, WA/Corvallis HS) added a straight-set win for the Bearcats at #6 singles, 6-2, 6-4.
The win over Linfield began a four-match homestand for Willamette. The Bearcats will host the University of Puget Sound on Friday, March 9 at 3 p.m. (PST), before taking on Pacific Lutheran University on Saturday, March 10 at 2 p.m. (PST). WU will close out the homestand on Monday, March 12 at 2 p.m. (PDT).
Joshua Wong of Willamette defeated Cody Levien at #1 singles, 6-1, 6-1.