PORTLAND, Ore. - The #31 Lewis & Clark women's tennis team went to battle on Sunday afternoon against #25 Whitman College in a showdown of the Northwest Conference's top-two programs. After several close matches, the Missionaries edged out the Pioneers 5-4.
The loss is the Pioneers first in conference action, leaving the Missionaries as the NWC's only undefeated team, setting up a possible preview of the conference championship match.
In doubles action, the Lawless sisters of Whitman faced off against Christine Eliazo and Kacey Incerpi. Despite their best efforts the Pio tandem could not overcome the West Regions eighth best doubles pair.
Whitman also picked up a win in No. 2 doubles with Summer Garrison and Claudia Lew falling 8-4.
The final doubles match came down to the Pioneers duo of Aurora Garrison and Wiktoria Plawska and Whitman's Madison Webster and Hanna Greenberg. After several back and forth plays, the Pioneers found a way to take down the Missionaries 8-6.
Heading into singles play down 2-1, S. Garrison quickly tied the match after defeating #6 C. Lawless 6-1, 6-3.
Incerpi handed the Pioneers their first lead of the day with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Allie Wallin in the No. 4 singles position. Plawska helped put the Pioneers just one match away from victory with a 6-1, 7-5 victory from No. 3 singles.
Unfortunately for Lewis & Clark, Jenna Dobrin defeated A. Garrison 6-4, 6-4 from the No. 2 spot and Lindsey Brodeck took down Glenna Gee-Taylor (6-1, 6-2) to tie the contest at 4-4.
The final singles point came down to a hard fought match between Erin Bell and Lew. Lew won the opening set 7-5 but could not hold on, dropping the final sets 6-3, 6-2.
The Pioneers return to the court on Saturday, April 11 at George Fox.
