Bearcats Roll Past Puget Sound, 6-3

By Timothy Walsh, Athletics Communications Writer

TACOMA, WASH. -- Willamette University won two of three doubles matches, then used superior depth to secure a 6-3 team victory over the University of Puget Sound in a Northwest Conference tennis match on Friday, Feb. 28.

Willamette picked up its first win of the season, improving to 1-4 overall, 1-2 in the NWC. UPS fell to 0-2, 0-2 in NWC play.

The Bearcats were victorious at #4, #5, and #6 singles, with Jack Schreiber (Jr., Solana Beach, CA/The Grauer School),Blake Brash (So., Boise, ID/Boise HS) and Gunnar Lee(So., Hilo, HI/St. Joseph HS) each picking up easy wins.

At #4, Schreiber defeated Abe Noyes 6-2, 6-1, while Brash notched a 6-3, 6-2 win over John Stevens in the #5 spot. Lee earned a 6-1, 6-2 decision over Jake Peterson at #6.

Willamette's other singles victory came at the top of the lineup, with Sam Wexman(So., Tiburon, CA/Tamiscal HS) edging out Daniel Deuel 6-4, 4-6, 1-0 (10-5).

At #2 singles, Will Cooper (Sr., Gresham, OR/Centennial HS) narrowly lost to Chas Stewart, 6-3, 7-6 (7-2), while UPS picked up another point when Myles Rivera-Flam defeated Willamette's Devin Abney(Jr., Shoreline, WA/Shorecrest HS/Univ. of Redlands) 6-3, 6-4.

Earlier in the match, Cooper and Abney helped the Bearcats gain a 2-1 edge after doubles play. Competing at the #1 spot, Cooper and Abney defeated Stewart and Stevens 8-4, while Brash andShrujan Kalidindi (So., Cupertino, CA/Monta Vista HS) gained WU another 8-4 victory at #3.

UPS gained its only point in doubles play when Deuel and Peterson notched an 8-4 win over Wexman and Lee at the #2 position.