NEWBERG, Ore. – The Whitworth women's tennis team opened the 2026-27 season at the 2026 ITA DIII Women's Northwest Regional Championship this weekend, hosted by Linfield University and played at George Fox University.

All eight Northwest Conference team competed in the tournament that consisted of a doubles bracket, a singles "A" bracket, and singles "B" bracket, including consolation rounds.

Senior Paige Oliver led the way for the Bucs, reaching the singles flight "A" semifinals. She got there by earning a pair of two-set wins in the first two rounds, then dropped the first set in her quarterfinal match to Maya Curry but responded with two straight set wins to move on. Oliver battled Whitman's Renata Rosell in the semifinal match and fell 6-2, 6-0.

Josie Kellogg, Jordan Turner-Esposito, and Audrey Judson also each competed in the "A" singles bracket. Kellogg won her first match 6-3, 7-5 before falling in the round of 16. Judson and Turner-Esposito each fell in hard-fought first round matches.

Judson and Turner-Esposito would go on to win two consolation matches before competing against each other in the consolation semifinals. Judson came out on top 6-3, 6-2 before defeating Lewis & Clark's Charlotte Makoni 6-2, 6-3 in the consolation final.

Also competing in the consolation round was First-year Pirate Andre DelCastillo, who earned a 5-4 (7-4), 4-2 victory in her collegiate debut.

Junior Hannah Wells represented Whitworth in the "B" flight, dominating her opponent 6-1, 6-0 in the round of 32 before falling in a three-set battle in the round of 16.

In doubles, all four Pirate pairs won their first-round match. Turner-Esposito and Wells defeated a Linfield pair, then fell to Stella Nishimura and Chloe Takahashi, who made the doubles final. Judson and Kellogg also earned a dominant win before falling to Whitman's Rosell and Emerson Bonner, the eventual doubles champions.

Two Whitworth duos reached the doubles quarterfinals. Clara Todd and Oliver earned two wins before dropping the quarterfinal match 8-0. First-years DelCastillo and Lexi Mattox paired for two hard-fought victories against a Linfield and Whitman pairing prior to a tight 6-8 loss to Goerge Fox's Juhree Kizziar and Shanah Denham.

After a strong showing this fall, the Whitworth women will continue the 2026-27 season in the spring.