Bearcats Battle in Walla Walla

WALLA WALLA, WA — The Willamette University men's tennis team faced one of its steepest challenges of the season on Saturday, dropping a 7-0 decision to a formidable Whitman College squad. Despite the final scoreline, the Bearcats displayed significant competitive spirit against a Blues program that remains a benchmark in the Northwest Conference.

The afternoon began with a hard-fought doubles round. At the No. 1 position, the duo of AJ Avansino and Hudson Snyder went toe-to-toe with Whitman's Alexander Stage and Niklas Jensen. The Bearcats managed to break serve and push the pace, but the Blues eventually pulled away for a 6-3 victory. On courts two and three, the pairings of Luca Casano/Sohnosuke Sakaguchi and Jake Bronson/Jake Freeland both battled through long rallies before falling 6-1.

In singles play, the Bearcats looked to find a rhythm against a deep Whitman lineup. Jake Bronson provided one of the highlights of the day at the No. 2 spot. After dropping the first set to Niklas Jensen, Bronson locked in for a highly competitive second set, utilizing strong baseline play to keep the pressure on before ultimately falling 6-2, 6-4.

At the No. 3 flight, Sohnosuke Sakaguchi showed flashes of brilliance against Artem Manov, finding success at the net in a 6-1, 6-3 loss. Meanwhile, at the top of the order, AJ Avansino faced a tough test against Alexander Stage, battling through several deuce points in a 6-2, 6-1 defeat.

While the trip to Walla Walla didn't result in a win for the books, the Bearcats gained valuable experience against elite regional competition. The team will look to take the lessons learned from this weekend back home as they prepare for their next conference matchup.

The Bearcats will return to action as they continue their push through the NWC schedule, hungry to get back into the win column.