PORTLAND, Ore. -- Lewis & Clark College women's tennis dominated Willamette University with back-to-back 6-1 victories in a Northwest Conference doubleheader Saturday at the L&C Tennis Dome.
THE BASICS
Lewis & Clark 6, Willamette 1
Lewis & Clark 6, Willamette 1
(Lewis & Clark 5-7, 4-4 NWC)
(Willamette 2-5, 2-5 NWC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Six Pioneers earned multiple wins against the Bearcats, led by junior
Susanna Anand and sophomore
Charlotte Makoni, who each secured three victories. Seniors
Allison Gabelman,
Hayley Kreps,
Kacie Lau, and
Lauren Smith-Euben, along with sophomore
Emma Loucks, tallied two wins apiece.
Sophomore
Maya Curry earned her first career win in the second match, while first-years
Madi Vianzon and
Elle Garcia secured their first Northwest Conference victories.
Taylor Stadjuhar made her debut at No. 3 singles, improving to 2-2 in NWC play with her win.
FIRST MATCH RECAP
Lewis & Clark set the tone early in the morning match, sweeping all three doubles contests. Loucks and Smith-Euben defeated Alicia Sola and Marie Tarrab 6-1 at No. 3 doubles, followed by Anand and Makoni's 6-2 victory over Richelle Suzuki and Eva Lief at the top spot. Kreps and Lau clinched the sweep in the second flight with a hard-fought 7-6 (1) win over Ruby Thompson and Sofia Spencer.
The Pioneers carried their momentum into singles play, winning five of six matches. Anand led the way at No. 1 singles, defeating Suzuki 6-1, 6-1. Lau secured the fourth flight with a 7-5, 6-2 victory over Thompson.
Gabelman claimed a 6-1, 6-2 win over Lief at third singles, while Smith-Euben controlled No. 5 singles with a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Grace O'Steen. Loucks closed out the match with a 6-1, 6-2 win at No. 6 singles.
SECOND MATCH RECAP
The Pioneers continued their strong play in the afternoon, claiming the doubles point by winning two of three contests. Gabelman and Vianzon set the tone with a 6-2 win over O'Steen and Tarrab at third doubles. Willamette secured its lone doubles victory of the day in the second flight, as Thompson and Spencer avenged their morning loss with a 6-3 win over Kreps and Lau. Anand and Makoni clinched the doubles point for the Pioneers with a 7-6 (2) win over Suzuki and Lief at No. 1.
Lewis & Clark dominated singles play once again, winning five of six matches for the second time on Saturday. Kreps defeated Spencer 6-2, 6-0 at second singles, while Stadjuhar secured a 6-1, 6-3 win over Lief at No. 3.
Curry continued the Pioneers' success with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Thompson at No. 4 singles, earning her first collegiate win and clinching the match for the Pioneers.
Makoni picked up her second win of the season at the top singles spot with a 7-5, 6-2 victory over Suzuki.
Senior
Soraya Young-Pen fell 6-1, 6-3 to O'Steen in the fifth flight, but Garcia closed out the day with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Tarrab at No. 6 for her first career singles victory.
BY THE NUMBERS
- The Pioneers have won 17 straight matches against the Bearcats.
- The victories by Kreps and Lau at No. 2 doubles in the morning match and Kreps at second singles in the afternoon snapped an 11-match losing streak at both spots this season.
- Kreps holds or is tied for the most wins in four of the six singles positions (No. 2- No. 5) and two of the three doubles positions (No. 2 and No. 3) on the team this season.
WHO'S NEXT
Lewis & Clark continues NWC play on Sunday, hosting Pacific University at 11 a.m. at the L&C Tennis Dome.
