SPOKANE, Wash. – Whitworth earned a hard-fought 5-4 win over visiting Pacific University in a Northwest Conference women's tennis match on Wednesday evening at the Scotford Tennis Center.
The youthful Pirates (7-8 overall, 3-4 NWC) moved to within one win of evening their record. The Boxers fell to 3-8, 3-2.
The margin of victory was earned in doubles as Whitworth won two of the three matches. Meredith Bedford and Kara Nelson shut out Angela Nguyen and Keilyn Futter 8-0 at #2 doubles, while Olivia Corbett and Elizabeth Hopkins ran away from Anna Emerson and Anneke Hanson 8-1 in less than 30 minutes at #3. Pacific got its only point at #1 doubles when Cassidy Binder and Sydnie Binder defeated Natalie Budge and Gracie Smyley 8-3.
The teams split the six singles matches. It was Corbett's win over Futter at #4 that clinched the team victory. She won 6-0, 6-1.
The only singles match to go more than two sets came at #5 where Emerson edged Hopkins 6-4, 1-6, 1-0 (10-6).
Nelson beat Nguyen 6-0, 6-0 at #3 and Bedford shut out Hanson 6-0, 6-0 at #6.
Whitworth will take on Willamette on Friday at 4:00 pm in the Pirates' final conference match of the season.
