McMINNVILLE, Ore. -- With numerous competitors playing at higher singles spots and in different doubles pairings than normal, the Lewis & Clark Pioneers could not defend their Northwest Conference championship in a 5-2 semifinal loss to the Whitman Blues on Saturday afternoon at the Rutschman Field House.
Freshman Josie Legarza won her first-ever singles match at No. 1, 6-4, 3-6, 6-0, over NWC Freshman of the Year Andrea Gu for the Pioneers' only singles point. Legarza ended her first collegiate season with a 12-5 overall singles record.
Lewis & Clark entered the match without Wiktoria Plawska and Kacey Incerpi, who had played the majority of the team's singles matches at No. 1 and No. 4, respectively. As a result, the Pios scrambled pairings around for doubles.
Paired together for the first time, Tash Hood and Carla Thomas won the No. 2 doubles match, 8-5, over Mary Hill and Allie Wallin.
"We try different pairings in practice," said Hood. "Carla and I had played maybe 15 minutes together before."
"We have to trust our instincts and your partner," said Thomas. Hill had been part of the No. 21-ranked doubles team with Hanna Greenberg earlier in the year.
Lewis & Clark was in a similar situation at No. 3 doubles, where Adrienne Fox and Natalie Kelly were paired together for the first time as well. The duo staved off numerous match points before losing 9-7 to Jenna Gilbert and Lori Sheng.
Christine Eliazo and Legarza dropped the top doubles match, 8-3, to Greenberg and Gu. In singles, Eliazo lost for just the second time in the conference, 6-3, 7-6 (7-1), to Hill in the No. 2 match. Glenna Gee-Taylor lost 6-0, 6-2 to Greenberg in the No. 4 spot.
A year removed from winning the NWC title, No. 25 Lewis & Clark ends the year with a 12-4 overall record. Everyone on their 2016-17 roster is eligible to return next season.
"We'll be ready for to compete next year," said Thomas. "We're excited."
"It was a fun season," said Hood. "We had a lot of new students this year, so it was a very new team. We had a couple injuries that got in the way."
Whitman will face top seed Linfield in Sunday's NWC Championship final.
