SPOKANE, Wash. – Kyndal Locati pulled out a three-set victory at #4 singles to lift Whitworth to a hard-fought 5-4 win over visiting George Fox in a Northwest Conference women's tennis match on Saturday.

The Pirates improved to 2-3 overall and 1-1 in the NWC with their first conference victory.  The Bruins fell to 4-1, 2-1 with their first league loss.

Whitworth's winning margin was established by winning two of the three doubles matches.  Jill Hughes and Grace Bethards made quick work of Abigail Bond and Elli Mangan at #3 doubles, 8-1 in less than 30 minutes.  Aleah Kert and Hannah Plank followed with an 8-2 victory over Cassidy Hitch and Danielle Brown at #1 doubles.  The #2 doubles match went nearly 80 minutes before GFU's Olivia Morris and Kalli Wiker pulled out an 8-6 win over Kyndal Locati and Gracie Smyley.

Kert defeated Mangan 6-2, 6-4 at #1 singles to increase Whitworth's lead to 3-1.  But the Bruins evened the match when Wiker topped Smyley 7-5, 6-4 at #3 singles, followed by Brown's win over Plank at #2 singles in three sets (4-6, 7-5, 7-5).

The Bruins briefly went in front 4-3 after getting a point at #6 singles.  But Hughes rallied to win 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 at #5 singles over Emily McDonald to tie the match back up at 4-4.  That left Locati and Morris as the final match to determine the team victory and Locati held on for a tense 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 win.  Locati led the final set 5-1, but Morris pulled within 5-3.  Locati held serve to finish out a match that took nearly three hours.

The Pirates will travel to Puget Sound and Pacific Lutheran next weekend hoping to continue their momentum.