Bruins Slip Past Bearcats, 5-4, in Final Women's Tennis Match of Season

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

SALEM, ORE. -- George Fox University took advantage of a 2-1 lead in doubles, as the Bruins added three wins in singles to hold off Willamette University, 5-4, for a Northwest Conference women's tennis victory on Saturday, April 13 at the Courthouse Tennis Center. It was the final regular season match for both teams.

The Bruins ended the season with a 7-11 overall record, 4-8 in the NWC. Willamette concluded the year at 1-15 overall, 1-11 in the NWC.

Both teams featured relatively young teams. GFU's #1 singles player Molly Beaumont was the only senior for either squad. Willamette had four freshmen, a sophomore and a junior in its singles lineup. The singles lineup for GFU included three sophomores and two juniors.

GFU claimed wins at #1 and #3 doubles. In the #1 match, Beaumont and Shaina Inn outlasted Denise Poltavski (So., Woodland Hills, CA/El Camino Real HS) and Sabrina Gutierrez (Jr., Newbury Park, CA/Newbury Park HS), 8-5. At #3 doubles, Krista Rey and Ali Diehl downed Emily Guimont (Fr., El Dorado Hills, CA/Newbury Park HS) and Mandy Carlson (Fr., Boise, ID/Bishop Kelly HS), 8-2.

In #2 doubles, Willamette's team of Stephanie Matsuura (Fr., Hilo, HI/Waiakea HS) and Rachel Heringer (Fr., Salem, OR/South Salem HS) defeated Chantelle Hadeed and Bethany Nguyen, 8-3.

Willamette won three of the top four singles matches, but couldn't overtake the Bruins.

Poltavski gained a 6-1, 6-1 win at #1 singles over Beaumont, while Gutierrez easily downed Hadeed, 6-1, 6-0, at #2 singles. Heringer was victorious at #4 singles for Willamette, as she won in three-sets, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.

Two of GFU's wins in singles were achieved in matches that went three sets. At #3 singles, Inn defeated Matsuura, 6-1, 5-7, 6-1. At #5 singles, Alissandra Wittrig fell behind after Yasmine Genena (Fr., Portland, OR/Lake Oswego HS) took the first set in a lengthy 13-11 tie-breaker, but gradually gained momentum in a 6-7, 6-4, 6-0 win.

Betheny Nguyen need a tie-breaker to win the first set at #6 singles, but eventually claimed a 7-6 (7-2), 6-1 victory over Guimont.