Bearcats Compete in Singles and Doubles at ITA Northwest Regional

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

McMINNVILLE, Ore. -- Willamette University won one first round singles match and two first round doubles matches in the main draws at the ITA Northwest Regional in women's tennis, hosted by Linfield College from Friday, Sept. 28 throiugh Monday, Oct. 1. The Bearcats also won three consolation matches in singles and two consolation matches in doubles. The ITA Northwest Regional featured all nine teams in the Northwest Conference.

Sarah Dean (So., Boise, ID/Timberline HS) of Willamette easily won her first round singles match against Macarena Vives of Lewis & Clark College, 6-0, 6-0. Nicole Bouche from University of Puget Sound defeated Dean in the second round, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3).

Seven other Bearcats competed in first round matches in the main singles bracket. Alexis Gjurasic (Sr., Olympia, WA/Capital HS) lost to Emily Brink from George Fox University in a super tie-breaker played instead of a third set, 6-4, 6-7 (3-7), 11-9. Sylvia Marr (So., Grants Pass, OR/Hidden Valley HS) fell to Kristi Ford of Pacific Lutheran University, 6-3, 6-4. Alexis Schwartz (So., Ontario, OR/Ontario HS) was defeated by the tournament's #5 seed, Tessa Kern of Linfield, 6-0, 6-0.

Willamette's Robin Pashek (So., The Dalles, OR/The Dalles-Wahtonka HS) lost in a super tie-breaker to Kelsey Bartlett of Linfield in the first round, 4-6, 6-2, 10-5. Siena Ginsburg (So., Bend, OR/Summit HS) played a strong first set against Erica Lee of Whitworth University before falling, 6-4, 6-2. Elsa Harris, seeded #4, downed Willamette's Hannah Andres (Sr., Sammamish, WA/Skyline HS) in the first round, 6-1, 6-0. Alyssa Oberg (Jr., Roseville, CA/Oakmont HS) of the Bearcats lost to Jill Hughes of Whitworth, 6-1, 6-2.

Michelle Uyeda of Linfield, seeded #1, defeated #2-seeded Andrea Gu of Whitman College, 7-5, 6-3, in the singles championship match.

Willamette's two first round wins in doubles action were recorded by Andres and Marr and by Pashek and Dean. Andres and Marr rolled past Hannamei Levine and Arisa Dintcho of Puget Sound, 8-1. In the Round of 16, Anastasiya Redkins and Kattie Pak of Whitman defeated Andres and Marr, 8-4. Pashek and Dean grabbed an 8-2 win in the first round against Floyd and Kylie Radamacher from Pacific Lutheran. Emma Jo Wiley and Lee of Whitworth downed Pashek and Dean in the Round of 16, 8-3.

Also representing the Bearcats in the first round of the main doubles bracket were Schwartz and Rachel Kong (Sr., Hayward, CA/Castro Valley HS) as well as Gjurasic and Ginsburg. Schwartz and Kong had to face the #1-seeded doubles team of Uyeda and Harris from Linfield. Uyeda and Harris won, 8-0, and went on to reach the championship match. Also in the first round, Lisa Owens and Bouche of Puget Sound defeated Gjurasic and Ginsburg of Willamette, 8-0.

The doubles team of Gu and Mary Hill from Whitman, seeded #2, defeated #1-seeded Uyeda and Harris, 6-2, 6-4, to win the doubles championship.

"Sarah Dean won a first round match in the main draw, battled in the second round, and was determined in the back draw," Willamette Head Coach Bryce Parmelly said. "Hannah Andres played some of the best tennis I've seen, both in singles and doubles.

Willamette received two byes and won three matches in consolation singles.

Dean advanced with a bye and then quickly defeated Lily Elmer of George Fox, 6-0. Michelle Ly of Linfield defeated Dean in the consolation quarterfinals, 6-4. Pashek defeated Brink of GFU, 6-3, before losing to Adrienne Powell of Pacific University, 6-4. Andres won against Dintcho of Puget Sound, 6-1. Alexis Choy of Puget Sound downed Andres, 6-3, in the quarterfinals. Ginsburg lost to Riley Hanks of Lewis & Clark College in the first round of consolation singles, 6-4.

In consolation doubles, Gjurasic and Ginsburg won two rounds before losing in the semifinals. They opened the consolation bracket with an 8-4 pro-set win over Taylor Smallwood and Megan Meatte of Pacific. The action then switched to a single regular set, with Gjurasic and Ginsburg downing Jillian Studor and Taylor Morris of George Fox, 6-3. In the consolation semifinals, Danielle Brown and Brink of GFU outlasted Gjurasic and Ginsburg, 6-4. Also in consolation doubles, Willamette's team of Kong and Schwartz fell to Sophia Nichimura and Haile Chang of Pacific, 6-3.

"We have come a long way from where we were a year ago," Parmelly noted. "This team is committed to improvement and trains with determination. They continue to impress me."

The ITA Northwest Regional completed Willamette's fall competition schedule. The Bearcats will return to action next semester with the spring schedule.