SPOKANE, Wash. – Lauren Ikeda stepped up the ladder to fill in for an injured teammate and won twice to lead Whitworth to a 7-2 Northwest Conference women's tennis victory over visiting Pacific Lutheran on Saturday afternoon at the Scotford Tennis Center.

The Pirates improved to 4-5 overall and 3-2 in the NWC with their fourth victory in the last five matches.  The Lutes dropped to 3-4, 2-4.

Ikeda has played most of the season at #3 or #4 singles and #2 doubles.  But she played #2 singles and #1 doubles against PLU.

Ikeda teamed with Hannah Plank at #1 doubles and the pair rolled past PLU's Sydney Cameron and Hannah Jeffries 8-1.  Kyndal Locati and Froukje Lakerveld won 8-5 at #2 doubles, while Avery Liening and Kara Nelson took #3 doubles 8-3.

Ikeda followed with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Jeffries at #2 singles to give Whitworth a 4-0 lead.  Liening clinched the team win with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Cameron at the top of the ladder.

Plank took a 7-6 (10-8), 6-0 win at #2 singles and Locati won 6-0, 6-3 at #5 to round out the Pirate victories.

Whitworth and PLU will wrap up the weekend with a non-conference match on Sunday at 10:00 am.