Willamette Upends Pacific 5-4 as Genena Provides Winning Point at #6 Singles

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

SALEM, ORE. -- Yasmine Genena (Fr., Portland, OR/Lake Oswego HS) won #6 singles for Willamette University, giving the Bearcats their fifth team point in a 5-4 victory over Pacific University, during a Northwest Conference women's tennis match on Friday, March 8. Genena's win over Carlee Rhodaback gave WU a 5-3 lead moments before Pacific picked up the final point at #3 singles.

Willamette advanced its record to 1-7 overall, 1-6 in the NWC. Pacific dropped to 0-7 on the season, 0-7 in the NWC. The match was played outdoors at the Willamette University Tennis Courts.

Genena outlasted Rhodaback in three sets in the #6 match, 6-2, 1-6, 6-4. Shortly after Genena's win clinched the team victory for the Bearcats, Francesca Battaglia of Pacific won a lengthy two-set match over Stephanie Matsuura of Willamette at #3 singles, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4.

WU built a 2-0 lead in doubles.

The Bearcats won #1 doubles when Denise Poltavski (So., Woodland Hills, CA/El Camino Real HS) and Sabrina Gutierrez (Jr., Newbury Park, CA/Newbury Park HS) defeated Synclaire Waldron and Rachel Mizuno, 8-4.

Willamette also took #3 doubles, with Genena and Mandy Carlson (Fr., Boise, ID/Bishop Kelly HS) rolling past Amber Craviotto and Kelsey Lack, 8-2.

Lillian Do and Becky Sheller of Pacific claimed an 8-2 win over Matsuura and Rachel Heringer (Fr., Salem, OR/South Salem HS) at #2 doubles to keep the Boxers close to the Bearcats as the action moved to singles.

Poltavski at #1 singles and Gutierrez at #2 singles contributed two important wins for the Bearcats. Poltavski downed Waldron, 6-0, 6-3, while Gutierrez defeated Mizuno, 6-0, 6-0.

Pacific gained wins at #3, #4 and #5 singles. In addition to the win by Battaglia at #3, the Boxers benefited from a 6-1, 6-1 win by Do over Heringer at #4 and a 6-2, 6-1 win by Sheller over Carlson at #5.

The Bearcats will travel to Tacoma, Wash., on Saturday, March 9 to take on the University of Puget Sound in another NWC match-up. The action is scheduled to get underway at 1 p.m. (PST).