De Crinis Leads Bearcats in Tacoma Tussle

de Crinis and Briggs pick up singles victories, but the Puget Sound Loggers win 5-2.

February 27, 2026

Team Stats

Game Statistics	Willamette	Puget Sound
Score	2	5

Doubles

Kaylee Yamada / Pearl Buck def. Alexa de Crinis / Reese Beyrouty 6-3
Nicole Wilson / Frances English def. Eva Lief / Sofia Spencer 6-3
Hannah Nejedly Welt / Ginger Parker def. Alicia Sola / Grace O'Steen 6-0

Singles

Alexa de Crinis def. Kaylee Yamada 6-4 , 6-4
Frances English def. Reese Beyrouty 6-3 , 6-2
Bean Lowe def. Sofia Spencer 6-1 , 6-4
Nicole Wilson def. Eva Lief 6-3 , 6-2
Pearl Buck def. Alicia Sola 6-2 , 6-2
Katie Briggs def. Meredith Friess 7-5 , 6-1

TACOMA, Wash. – The Willamette University women's tennis team showed plenty of heart and competitive fire on the road this weekend, battling through a tough afternoon against the University of Puget Sound. While the Loggers ultimately defended their home courts with a 5-2 victory, the Bearcats walked away with two impressive individual wins and several closely contested sets that kept the Tacoma crowd on the edge of their seats.

The match began with a challenging doubles round for the Bearcats. Despite spirited efforts from the top pairing of Alexa de Crinis and Reese Beyrouty, as well as the duo of Eva Lief and Sofia Spencer—both of whom pushed their opponents to 6-3 finishes—Puget Sound managed to sweep the doubles point to take an early lead.

However, the Bearcats refused to go quietly once singles play began.

In the marquee match of the day at #1 singles, Willamette's Alexa de Crinis put on a clinic of poise and precision. Facing off against Kaylee Yamada, de Crinis controlled the pace of the match to earn a commanding 6-4, 6-4 victory. The win at the top spot served as a major statement for de Crinis, who continues to prove she can go toe-to-toe with the best in the conference.

The Bearcats also found success at the #6 spot, where Katie Briggs displayed incredible resilience. After battling through a marathon first set to win 7-5 against Meredith Friess, Briggs found an extra gear in the second set, cruising to a 6-1 win to secure Willamette's second point of the day.

While the Loggers managed to clinch the overall team win with victories at the #2 through #5 positions, the Bearcats remained competitive throughout the lineup. Sofia Spencer fought hard in her second set at #3 singles before falling 6-4, and Eva Lief showed grit in her 6-3, 6-2 battle at the #4 spot.

Though the final scoreline favored the Loggers, the Bearcats' ability to bookend the singles lineup with victories provides plenty of momentum as they look ahead to their next conference challenge.