SPOKANE, Wash. – League-leading Linfield handed Whitworth a hard-fought 6-3 defeat in Northwest Conference women's tennis action on Saturday at the Scotford Tennis Center.

The Wildcats, who have all-but assured themselves the regular season NWC title, improved to 11-4 overall and 11-0 in the conference.  The Pirates fell to 11-5, 7-3.

Linfield earned the team victory with three close doubles wins.  One break of serve was the difference in two of those matches.  Lexi Thomas and Kelly Watanabe held off Claire Hemming and Megan Wingfield 9-7 at #3 doubles, while sisters Kiana and Kaila Nip edged Jessi Steele and Saryn Mooney 8-5 at #2 doubles.  The largest margin of victory came at the top where the #1 team of Abby Olbrich and Caroline Brigham defeated Alli Marshall and Erica Bosman 8-4.

Linfield won the odd-numbered singles matches, while Whitworth won the evens.

Olbrich defeated Marshall 6-1, 6-0 at #1, while Bosman earned the Pirates' first point by topping Brigham 6-3, 6-3 at #2.  Kaila Nip pulled away to beat Mooney 6-4, 6-0 at #3 to clinch the team victory for the Wildcats.

Steele won at #4 6-1, 6-4 over Thomas and Hemming beat Watanabe 6-1, 6-2 at #6 for the other two Pirate points.

Linfield's final point came at #5 where Kiana Nip slipped past Wingfield 6-4, 6-4.

Whitworth travels to play at Lewis & Clark at George Fox next week in the final regular season Northwest Conference matches.