SPOKANE, Wash. – Whitworth swept visiting George Fox in the three doubles matches, but could not sustain the momentum and the Bruins rallied for a 5-4 victory in the Northwest Conference women's tennis opener for both squads on Saturday afternoon.
The Pirates dropped to 0-2 overall and 0-1 in the NWC.
The contest started perfectly for Whitworth with wins in all three doubles matches. Jennifer Adams and Emma Jo Wiley earned the first point with an 8-3 win over Sarah Tuemmler and Ellen Pearson at #2 doubles. Then Erica Sandquist and Erica Lee, two first-year Pirates, defeated Catrina Kwong and Lydia Pia 8-4 at #3 doubles. Bella Hoyos and Paige Rohrbach beat Andrea Motley and Kristen Mock 8-4 at #1.
But GFU (1-1 overall, 1-0 NWC) was able to rally to tie the match 3-3 after the top three singles contests. Pearson defeated Wiley 6-0, 6-0 at #2 to give the Bruins their first point. Then Kwong topped Adams 6-4, 6-3 at 3rd singles, while Tuemmler edged Hoyos 7-5, 6-3 at #1 singles.
GFU took a 4-3 lead when Motley got by Lee 7-5, 6-4 at #4 singles, but Whitworth tied the match 4-4 thanks to Sandquist's 6-0, 6-0 win over Ilsa Teppo at #6.
It came down to #5 singles where Pia pulled out a 6-4, 7-5 (10-8) win over Rohrbach after Rohrbach rallied from a 5-2 deficit in the second set to force a tiebreaker.
Whitworth will take on defending champion Lewis & Clark at home on Sunday.
