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Lewis & Clark College

Anna English hits a forehand.
Kelly Bird (Linfield Athletics)
3
Whitworth Women's Tennis WHTW-W (9-9, 6-7)
4
Winner Lewis and Clark Women's Tennis LCWT (9-9, 7-6)
Whitworth Women's Tennis WHTW-W
(9-9, 6-7)
3
Final
4
Lewis and Clark Women's Tennis LCWT
(9-9, 7-6)
Winner

Match Recap: Women's Tennis | | Brian Hauge

Women’s Tennis Rallies for Thrilling 4-3 Victory Over Whitworth

Anna English’s three-set comeback at sixth singles tied match.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Facing an early deficit, Lewis & Clark College women's tennis delivered an inspired comeback, earning a dramatic 4-3 win against Whitworth University on Saturday morning to keep their postseason dreams alive.
 
THE BASICS
 
Lewis & Clark 4, Whitworth 3
(Lewis & Clark 9-9, 7-6 NWC)
(Whitworth 9-9, 6-7 NWC)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

Lewis & Clark found itself in trouble early after dropping all three doubles matches by identical 6-3 scores. Seniors Hayley Kreps and Kacie Lau fell to Clara Todd and Jordan Turner-Esposito at No. 2 doubles. At the same time, junior Susanna Anand and sophomore Charlotte Makoni couldn't overcome Faith Kert and Gracie Smyley at the top spot. Senior Lauren Smith-Euben and sophomore Maya Curry also came up short against Olivia Corbett and Audrey Judson in the third position.

Whitworth quickly extended the lead in singles play, as Paige Oliver defeated Kreps 6-2, 6-2 at third singles, and Kert topped Makoni 6-2, 6-0 in the second flight, putting Lewis & Clark down 3-0.
 
That's when the momentum shifted dramatically. Curry sparked the turnaround, grinding out a pivotal 6-4, 0-6, 7-6 (7) win over Turner-Esposito at fourth singles. Anand followed suit, digging deep to defeat Smyley 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 at the top singles position, pulling the Pioneers within striking distance at 3-2.
 
First-year Anna English kept the rally alive with an impressive performance at sixth singles, bouncing back after losing the first set to overpower Todd 5-7, 6-4, 6-0, leveling the match at 3-3.
 
With everything riding on the final singles match, senior Allison Gabelman rose to the occasion. Gabelman showed resilience under pressure, securing the decisive victory 7-6 (3), 2-6, 6-3 against Judson at No. 5 singles to clinch the win.
 
BY THE NUMBERS
  • English earned her 10th singles win of the season and fifth against NWC opponents with her match-tying performance.
  • Anand's victory marked her third straight singles win, improving her to 6-4 in NWC action and 11 singles wins overall.
  • Gabelman earned her second consecutive NWC victory, improving to 4-3 in conference matches with her clinching effort.
  • Curry moved to 2-0 at fourth singles, collecting her third conference win.
  • The victory pushed the Pioneers one game ahead of Whitworth in the standings. Lewis & Clark can secure a spot in next weekend's NWC Tournament with either a win against Whitman or a Whitworth loss to Puget Sound tomorrow.
WHO'S NEXT
 
Lewis & Clark will celebrate seniors Gabelman, Kreps, Lau, Smith-Euben and Soraya Young-Pen prior to tomorrow's home finale against Whitman College. The Senior Day recognition begins at approximately 10:40 a.m., with first serve set for 11 a.m. inside the L&C Tennis Dome.
 
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