Bearcats Edge College of Idaho, 5-4, in Women's Tennis

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

SALEM, ORE. -- The Willamette University women's tennis team won all three doubles matches, and then tacked on wins at #1 and #2 singles to defeat College of Idaho, 5-4, at the Courthouse Tennis Center on Saturday, March 8. Willamette, which added its second win in as many days, improved to 3-4 on the season. The Lady Yotes dropped to 0-5.

At #1 doubles, Sabrina Gutierrez (Sr., Newbury Park, CA/Newbury Park HS) and Denise Poltavski (Jr., Woodland Hills, CA/El Camino Real HS) combined their efforts to defeat Shea Stults and Emily Tesnohlidek, 8-2.

Gutierrez won #1 singles over Stults, 6-0, 6-3, while Poltavski downed Tesnohlidek at #2 singles, 6-1, 6-0.

Those three wins provided strength at the top of Willamette's lineup, while the wins at #2 and #3 doubles showed depth.

Nebraska Lucas (Fr., Portland, OR/Cleveland HS) and Emily Guimont (So., El Dorado Hills, CA/Folsom HS) prevailed at #2 doubles over Tanya Greenwood and Cassie Low from the College Idaho, 8-5.

The Willamette team of Taylor Coggeshall (Fr., Sacramento, CA/Rio Americano HS) and Alicia Sohn (Fr., Tustin, CA/Arnold O. Beckman HS) at #3 doubles defeated Emilee Chapman and Vanessa Almaraz, 8-4.

College of Idaho registered wins from #3 singles through #6 singles. All four matches featured at least one close set.

In #3 singles, Greenwood outlasted Lucas, 6-3, 7-5. At #4 singles, Allie Boyd won a tie-breaker in the first set before defeating Guimont, 7-6 (7-3), 6-1.

The #5 match was won by Low, who slipped past Coggeshall in straight sets, including a second-set tie-breaker, 6-3, 7-6 (10-8). Chapman triumphed for the Lady Yotes at #6 singles over Olina Cavedoni (Fr., Kamuela, HI/Hawaii Preparatory School).

Willamette will return to action on Friday, March 14 with an exhibition match against Bellevue College (Wash.) at 3 p.m. (PDT). If weather permits, the match will be played at the WU Tennis Courts. Bellevue competes in the Northwest Athletics Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC).