Boxscore
by Jimmy Chau
PORTLAND, OR.-
Falling short in a couple highly contested matches, the Pioneers come away disheartened with their post season hopes severely jeopardized. The Bearcat's top duo of Natalia Agarycheva and Shannon Palmer would lead the team to wins in both singles and doubles to set the stage for their teammates.
In the best doubles action of the year in terms of competitiveness, all three doubles flights were decided by just one break of serve. Emily Bee and Joanna Sterngold would get things going for Willamette after they had to hold on to defeat a charging Olivia Sweetman and Makena McCluskey. Jumping out to a 4-1 lead, the Bearcats would eventually have to break Sweetman's serve to clinch the match 8-6 and secure a very important point for the home team. Whitney DeBree and Jill Coleman would even up the dual match as they were the pair to come up with the decisive shots, in an 8-6 win of their own over Sabrina Gutierrez and Emily Funabiki. Then Agarycheva and Palmer would go to work. Although the Pioneers played fairly well and had break points late to even up the match, Agarycheva would take command with aggressive net play to lead the Bearcats to a 2-1 edge in doubles.
Regrouping, the Pioneers would come out swinging. Jill Coleman was the first Pioneer to give her teammates hope with a solid 6-4, 6-0 win over Jamie Slonaker. With the match all squared, Agarycheva and Palmer would change the momentum again by clinching straight set victories to put Willamette a point away from taking the match. Sweetman managed to keep the Pios' hopes alive for a little while, as she fought through for a scrappy 7-6 (5), 6-2 win. Soon after though, Bee would clinch the dual contest for the Bearcats on her fifth match point, in a 7-5, 6-2 win over McCluskey. Gutierrez and Borris would play the closest singles match of the day with the Bearcat pulling out a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 decision to finish the 6-3 win for the Bearcats.
The Pios have an extended break before they host the Linfield Wildcats on April 1st at 3:30 pm.
