Willamette Defeats Puget Sound in NWC Men's Tennis, 6-3

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

TACOMA, WASH. -- Willamette University defeated the University of Puget Sound in a Northwest Conference men's tennis match, 6-3, on Friday, Feb. 20 in Tacoma, Wash. Willamette improved to 2-0 on the season, 2-0 in the Northwest Conference. Puget Sound fell to 0-4 overall, 0-4 in the NWC.

Andrew Murakami (Sr., Wahiawa, HI/U. of Redlands) won #1 singles for Willamette, as he defeated Jamie Hosmer, 6-0, 6-1. Murakami also teamed up with Matt Houser (So., Vancouver, WA/Evergreen HS) to win #1 doubles in a tie-breaker, 9-8 (7-2).

Willamette clinched the team victory when Michael Moore (So., Seattle, WA/Lakeside HS) won the #6 singles match. Moore downed Olie Napier of UPS, 6-3, 7-5, after rallying from a 5-1 deficit in the second set.

Overall, the Bearcats won four of the six singles matches. In addition to wins at #1 and #6, the 'Cats also achieved victories at the #2 and #3 positions.

Houser won #2 singles over Sam Finkelman, 6-2, 6-1. Cody Ferguson (Fr., North Bend, OR/Western Oregon University) took #3 singles in the only three-set match of the evening, as he rallied to defeat Nick Kelly, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3. Puget Sound gained wins in singles from Alex Harrison at #4 and Scooter Sabel at #5.

The Bearcats will play again on Saturday, Feb. 21, when they host Linfield College at the Courthouse Tennis Center in Salem, Ore. Match time is scheduled for 1 p.m. (PST).

Friday, Feb. 20, 2009
At Tacoma, Wash.

Singles
#1 - Andrew Murakami (WU) defeated Jamie Hosmer (UPS), 6-0, 6-1
#2 - Matt Houser (WU) defeated Sam Finkleman (UPS), 6-2, 6-2
#3 - Cody Ferguson (WU) defeated Nick Kelly (UPS), 4-6, 6-1, 6-3
#4 - Alex Harrison (UPS) defeated Micah Mack (WU), 6-3, 6-1
#5 - Scooter Sabel (UPS) defeated Alex Sepenzis (WU), 6-2, 6-0
#6 - Michael Moore (WU) defeated Olie Napier (UPS), 6-3, 7-5

Doubles
#1 - Murakami and Houser (WU) defeated Hosmer and Kelly (UPS), 9-8 (7-3)
#2 - Ferguson and Mack (WU) defeated Finkelman and Andrew Timmons (UPS), 8-2
#3 - Sabel and Napier (UPS) defeated Sepenzis and Moore (WU), 8-4

Records:
Willamette University is 2-0 overall, 2-0 in the NWC. The University of Puget Sound is 0-4 overall, 0-4 in the NWC.