Bearcats Finish Willamette Valley Four-Way with Doubles Competition

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

FOREST GROVE, Ore. -- The Willamette University women's tennis team completed the Willamette Valley Four-Way with the doubles competition on Sunday, Sept. 12. Also participating in the tournament were host Pacific University, George Fox University, and Lewis & Clark College.

Willamette's doubles team of Ruby Thompson (So., Bay City, OR/Tillamook HS) and McKenna Turner (So., Junction City, OR/Junction City HS) lost in the first round to Jessica Eligio and Bea Erica Rufo of Pacific, 8-2. In the second round, Thompson and Turner were defeated by Kendall Malone and Arielle Bloom from Lewis & Clark, 8-4.

Richelle Suzuki (Fy., Mililani, HI/Mililani HS) and Anika Groener (Fy., Bend, OR/Summit HS) also participated in doubles for the Bearcats on Sunday. Ellie Mangan and Olivia Morris of George Fox held off Suzuki and Groener in the first round, 8-5. Suzuki and Groener fell to Rachael Rice and Caren Uribe of Lewis & Clark, 8-1, in the second round.

Willamette is scheduled to compete in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Northwest Regional Championships in Newberg, Oregon, later this month. The tournament, featuring all of the teams in the Northwest Conference, will be held from Friday, Sept. 24 through Monday, Sept. 27.

"The team had a great weekend competing," said Willamette Director of Tennis/Head Coach Rick Wood. "I am proud of the progress and the excitement from the team this weekend. I'm ready to get back to practice and gear up for the Fall ITA's in two weeks."