Poltavski Reaches Round of 16 at ITA Northwest Regional

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

WALLA WALLA, WASH. -- Willamette University senior tennis player Denise Poltavksi (Sr., Woodland Hills, CA/El Camino Real HS) won two singles matches during the first day of the ITA Small College Northwest Regional on Friday, Sept. 27 at Whitman College. The pair of wins moved Poltavski into the Round of 16.

Poltavski, seeded #7, defeated Marisa Kume of Linfield in the first round, 6-4, 6-2. In the second round, Poltavski moved past Alex Sigouin from Whitman, 6-2, 6-1, to earn a berth in the Round of 16 on Saturday against Jelena Vidovic of Pacific.

Mikaila Smith (Fr., Mill Valley, CA/Tamalpais HS) also earned a win for the Bearcats in the first round of singles. She downed Adrienne Fox from Lewis & Clark College, 6-4, 6-2. Taylor Pena of Whitworth defeated Smith in a three-set match during the second round, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.

Poltavski and Smith combined in doubles to achieve a first-round victory over Danielle Wicks and Lexi Norrmine of Pacific by a decisive 8-1 score. Erin Bell and Jenna Dobrin of Whitman outlasted Poltavski and Smith in the Round of 16, 8-6.

Four Bearcats were defeated in the first round of singles and moved into the consolation bracket.

Emily Bower from Pacific Lutheran University downed Alicia Sohn (So., Tustin, CA/Arnold O. Beckman HS), 6-2, 6-0. Bella Hoyos of Whitworth University defeated Ellen Rumley (Fr., Anchorage, AK/East Anchorage HS), 6-1, 6-1.

Gretchen Jernstedt of Linfield outscored Emily Guimont (Jr., El Dorado Hills, CA/Folsom HS), 6-1, 6-3. Kaitlyn Lomartire of Pacific, seeded #2, defeated Ashley Evans (Fr., Canby, OR/Canby HS), 6-2, 6-1.

Three of the Bearcats picked up a win early on Saturday in the consolation singles bracket. Rumley pushed past Alison Schneider of Lewis & Clark, 6-2, 6-1. Evans defeated Ingrid Ericksen from PLU, 6-2, 6-2. Sohn advanced with a bye into the consolation quarterfinals.

Mai Kobayashi of Pacific downed Guimont in the first round of the consolation bracket, 6-4, 6-2.

Smith competed on Saturday morning in the singles second round consolation bracket for competitors who won their first match but fell in the second round of the main singles draw. In the first round of consolation play, Smith will play Bower of PLU.

In addition to Poltavski and Smith, Willamette entered two other teams in the doubles bracket.

Andrea Motley and Catrina Kwong of GFU downed Guimont and Sohn in the first round of doubles, 8-3. Jernstedt and Courtney Hammagren of Linfield outscored Evans and Rumley in the first round, 8-4.

Both of the Willamette teams that lost in the first round will compete in the consolation doubles bracket on Saturday afternoon. Guimont and Sohn will take on Basia Kopecka and Marisa Doveri of Linfield, while Evans and Rumley will face Jenna Gilbert and Lindsey Brodeck of Whitman.

The ITA Small College Northwest Regional will continue through Sunday (Sept. 28). Competition on Saturday is expected to go through the quarterfinals in the main singles draw while proceeding through the semifinals in the main doubles draw. On Sunday, the semifinals and finals in singles will be played, along with the finals in doubles.