Gutierrez, Poltavski Named First Team All-Northwest Conference

By Brandon Chinn, Athletics Communications Writer

SALEM, ORE. -- After teaming up to compile a 13-2 record in doubles matches this spring, Sabrina Gutierrez (Sr., Newbury Park, CA/Newbury Park HS) and Denise Poltavski (Jr., Woodland Hills, CA/El Camino Real HS) have both been named First Team All-Northwest Conference for the 2013-14 season.

In voting by the NWC head coaches, a total of eight players throughout the conference received First Team honors. An additional eight players were chosen for the Second Team.

Courtney Lawless of Whitman College was selected NWC Women's Tennis Player of the Year. John Hein, the head coach at Whitman, was named NWC Women's Tennis Coach of the Year.

First Team All-Northwest Conference

Gutierrez and Poltavski achieved an 11-1 doubles record in NWC action, and both players also enjoyed success in singles competition. Gutierrez finished the year 10-6 competing in #1 singles, while Poltavski went 12-3 as the team's #2 singles participant.

All-Conference honors are nothing new to either player. Gutierrez was named Second Team All-NWC three times before earning First Team recognition this year. Poltavski was chosen First Team All-NWC for the second consecutive season, after earning Second Team honors in 2011-12.

Gutierrez completed her four-year career at Willamette with a 42-27 overall record in singles. She lost in the Round of 16 in singles at the USTA/ITA Northwest Regional in the fall of 2013.

This spring, both Gutierrez and Poltavski competed in the 114th Ojai Valley Tournament in Ojai, Calif., on April 24-25.

Gutierrez received a bye in the first round and picked up a victory in the Round of 32, before losing to #1-seeded Lauren Stratman from Westmont College (Calif.) in the Round of 16.

Poltavski picked up a win in the first round, but lost to #4-seeded Meagan Zamilpa from Whittier College (Calif.) in the Round of 32. She concluded the season with a career record of 34-12 in matches during the spring season.

In doubles at the Ojai Tournament, Gutierrez and Poltavski lost in the first round to a pair from the West Region's top-ranked team, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.