SPOKANE, Wash. – Whitworth broke a modest two-match losing streak with a 7-2 win over visiting Willamette in a Northwest Conference women's tennis match on Friday afternoon at the Scotford Tennis Center.

The Pirates improved to 11-4 overall and 7-2 in the NWC and will host league-leading Linfield on Saturday morning.  The Bearcats fell to 6-7, 4-5.

Whitworth got off to a great start with a sweep of the three doubles matches.  Megan Wingfield and Claire Hemming got the ball rolling with an 8-1 win over Elise Derby and Emily Funabiki at #3 doubles.  Alli Marshall and Erica Bosman followed closely behind with their 8-2 victory over Sabrina Gutierrez and Shannon Palmer at #1.  Saryn Mooney and Jessi Steele finished off the sweep with their 8-4 win over Denise Poltavski and Emily Bee at #2 doubles.

Marshall defeated Palmer 6-2, 6-2 at #1 singles for a 4-0 Whitworth lead.  But the Bearcats prevented the Pirates from clinching the team win during the top three singles matches.  Both Gutierrez and Poltavski pulled out three-set wins.  Gutierrez edged Bosman 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (3) at #2 singles.  Poltavski nipped Mooney 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 at #3.

But Whitworth swept the bottom three singles matches to win going away.  Steele edged Bee 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 at #4 singles to give the Bucs a 5-2 lead, clinching the team's win.

Wingfield beat Funabiki 6-3, 3-6, 1-0 (10-6) at #5 singles and Siri Carlson swept Derby 6-3, 6-4 at #6 singles.