2008-09 Men's Tennis News

Season
Murakami and Houser Fall to Seeded Opponents in Second Round of Ojai Tournament
Murakami and Houser Fall to Seeded Opponents in Second Round of Ojai Tournament

OJAI, CALIF. -- Willamette University men's tennis players Andrew Murakami (Sr., Wahiawa, HI/Leilehua HS/Univ. of Redlands) and Matt Houser (So., Vancouver, WA/Evergreen HS) both fell to seeded opponents in the second round of the Ojai Valley Tournament on Friday, April 24 after recording victories in the first round.

Willamette Men's Tennis Off to Good Start at Ojai Tournament
Willamette Men's Tennis Off to Good Start at Ojai Tournament

OJAI, CALIF. -- The Willamette University men's tennis team is off to a solid start at the prestigious Ojai Valley Tournament in singles action on Friday, April 24. Andrew Murakami (Sr., Wahiawa, HI/Leilehua HS/Univ. of Redlands) and Matt Houser (So., Vancouver, WA/Evergreen HS) have achieved first round wins for the Bearcats.

Murakami Earns First Team All-NWC and is Chosen Sportsman of the Year
Murakami Earns First Team All-NWC and is Chosen Sportsman of the Year

SALEM, ORE. -- Senior Andrew Murakami (Wahiawa, HI/Leilehua HS/Univ. of Redlands) of Willamette University has been named First Team All-Northwest Conference and has been chosen NWC Sportsman of the Year for the 2008-09 men's tennis season. WU teammate Cody Ferguson (Fr., North Bend, OR/North Bend HS/Western Oregon Univ.) was selected Second Team All-NWC.

Murakami Wins #1 Singles, but Bearcats Lose to Linfield, 6-3, at NWC Tournament
Murakami Wins #1 Singles, but Bearcats Lose to Linfield, 6-3, at NWC Tournament

YAKIMA, WASH. -- Andrew Murakami (Sr., Wahiawa, HI/Leilehua HS/Univ. of Redlands) of Willamette University defeated Kyle Anderson of Linfield College in a super tie-breaker, at #1 singles, 7-5, 4-6, 10-6, but the Bearcats fell to the Wildcats, 6-3, in the third place match of the NWC Men's Tennis Tournament on Saturday, April 18 at the Yakima Tennis Center. Linfield improved to 16-7. Willamette ended its dual match schedule with a 10-9 record.

Bearcats Defeat Whitworth, 5-3, in First Round of NWC Tournament
Bearcats Defeat Whitworth, 5-3, in First Round of NWC Tournament

YAKIMA, WASH. -- Willamette University recorded a team victory in the first round of the Northwest Conference Men's Tennis Tournament for the third year in a row, as the Bearcats defeated Whitworth University, 5-3, at the Yakima Tennis Center on Friday, April 17. Willamette, seeded #4 in the tournament, improved to 10-7 on the season. The 'Cats are playing top-seeded Whitman College this afternoon in the NWC Semifinals.

Willamette Battles Whitman in Loss to Top-Seeded Missionaries
Willamette Battles Whitman in Loss to Top-Seeded Missionaries

YAKIMA, WASH. -- Whitman College defeated Willamette University, 5-1, in the semifinals of the Northwest Conference Men's Tennis Tournament on Friday, April 17 at the Yakima Tennis Center. The score looks like an easy win for Whitman, but the Bearcats gave the Missionaries a solid battle.

Bearcats to Battle Pirates in First Round of NWC Tournament
Bearcats to Battle Pirates in First Round of NWC Tournament

YAKIMA, WASH. -- The Willamette University men's tennis team will open the Northwest Conference Tournament against Whitworth University on Friday, April 17 at the Yakima Tennis Center. Willamette, the #4 seed, and Whitworth, the #5 seed, split their regular season meetings, with the Bearcats winning, 5-4, in Salem, Ore., and the Pirates, winning, 5-4, in Spokane, Wash.

Murakami Earns NWC Student-Athlete of the Week Honors
Murakami Earns NWC Student-Athlete of the Week Honors

SALEM, ORE. -- Andrew Murakami (Sr., Wahiawa, HI/Leilehua HS/Univ. of Redlands) of the Willamette University men's tennis team has been named Northwest Conference Student-Athlete of the Week for his results in matches played on April 10-11. He was 2-0 in singles and 2-0 in doubles, as the Bearcats defeated Pacific University, 6-3, and downed the University of Puget Sound, 7-2.

Bearcats Defeat Puget Sound in Men's Tennis, 7-2, and Finish Regular Season at 9-7
Bearcats Defeat Puget Sound in Men's Tennis, 7-2, and Finish Regular Season at 9-7

SALEM, ORE. -- Willamette University pulled into a tie for fourth place in the Northwest Conference standings with a 7-2 victory over the University of Puget Sound at the WU Tennis Courts on Saturday, April 11. The Bearcats finished the regular season at 9-7 overall and 9-7 in the NWC. Willamette and Whitworth University (9-7) tied for fourth place. Puget Sound fell to 7-12 overall, 5-11 in the NWC.

Bearcats Defeat Pacific, 6-3, at WU Tennis Courts
Bearcats Defeat Pacific, 6-3, at WU Tennis Courts

SALEM, ORE. -- The Willamette University men's tennis team defeated Pacific University, 6-3, on Friday, April 10 at the WU Tennis Courts to improve to 8-7overall. The Bearcats also moved to 8-7 in the Northwest Conference. Pacific fell to 7-12 overall, 4-11 in the NWC.

Bearcats Blank Bruins in NWC Men's Tennis Match, 9-0
Bearcats Blank Bruins in NWC Men's Tennis Match, 9-0

SALEM, ORE. -- Willamette University swept every match as the Bearcats defeated the Bruins of George Fox University, 9-0, in Northwest Conference men's tennis action at the WU Tennis Courts on Saturday, April 4. The Bearcats evened their overall record at 7-7. WU is also 7-7 against NWC teams. George Fox dropped to 1-16 on the season, 0-16 in the NWC.

Willamette Loses to Pacific Lutheran, 8-1, in Men's Tennis
Willamette Loses to Pacific Lutheran, 8-1, in Men's Tennis

TACOMA, WASH. -- Pacific Lutheran University defeated visiting Willamette University, 8-1, in a Northwest Conference men's tennis match on Friday, April 3. The Lutes upped their overall record to 12-7, including 10-2 in the NWC. Willamette fell to 6-7 overall, 6-7 in the NWC.

Willamette Defeats Lewis & Clark, 8-1, in Men's Tennis
Willamette Defeats Lewis & Clark, 8-1, in Men's Tennis

PORTLAND, ORE. -- The Willamette University men's tennis team defeated Lewis & Clark College, 8-1, on Sunday, March 29 at the L&C Bubble. Match results wee not immediately available. Details will be posted later.

Linfield Defeats Bearcats, 7-2, in NWC Men's Tennis
Linfield Defeats Bearcats, 7-2, in NWC Men's Tennis

McMINNVILLE, ORE. -- Willamette University received singles victories from Cody Ferguson (Fr., North Bend, OR/North Bend HS/Western Oregon Univ.) at the #1 position and from Matt Houser (So., Vancouver, WA/Evergreen HS) at #3, but Linfield College won the remaining matches and defeated the Bearcats, 7-2, in Northwest Conference action on Saturday, March 21. Willamette fell to 5-6 overall, 5-6 in the NWC, while Linfield improved to 9-4 overall, 9-3 in the conference.

Men's Tennis Match at Linfield will Start at Noon on Saturday
Men's Tennis Match at Linfield will Start at Noon on Saturday

SALEM, ORE. -- The Willamette University men's tennis match against Linfield College on Saturday, March 21, will start one hour earlier than originally scheduled as the teams try to play on outdoor courts and avoid bad weather. The new match time is 12 p.m. (PDT) on the Linfield campus.

Whitman Remains Undefeated in NWC with 9-0 Win over Willamette
Whitman Remains Undefeated in NWC with 9-0 Win over Willamette

SALEM, ORE. -- The Whitman College men's tennis team remained undefeated in Northwest Conference action with a 9-0 victory over Willamette University on Wednesday, March 18 at the WU Tennis Courts. Whitman, now 10-0 in the conference, improved to 12-2 overall. Willamette dropped to 5-5, with all 10 matches against NWC opponents.