FOREST GROVE, Ore. – Whitworth clinched third place in the 2022 Northwest Conference women's tennis standings with a 5-4 victory at Pacific University on Saturday.

The Pirates (8-7 overall, 6-2 NWC) will head to next week's NWC tournament as the third season.  The Boxers (9-8 overall, 4-3 NWC) must defeat Whitman tomorrow for a chance at the fourth (and final) seed in the tournament.

Whitworth took two of the three doubles matches.  Grace Bethards and Jill Hughes won easily at #3 doubles (8-1) over Gillian Mead and Jessica Eligio at #3 doubles.  Similarly Gracie Smyley and Kyndal Locati topped Pacific's Grace Truong and Valentina Casab-Klescova 8-2 at #2 doubles.  The Boxer pair of sisters Sydnie and Cassidy Binder beat Aleah Kert and Hannah Plank 8-2 at #1 doubles.

Pacific took a 3-2 lead when Sydney Binder won at #2 singles by retirement over Plank, leading 5-0 in the first set.  Cassidy Binder defeated Kert 6-2, 6-0 at #1 singles.

But Whitworth won three of the final four singles matches to secure the team victory, beginning with Smylie's 6-1, 6-3 win over Casab-Kelscova at #3 singles. 

Hughes beat Eligio 6-2, 6-0 at #5 singles, while Bethards won 6-2, 6-2 over Mead at #6 singles for the final Pirate points.