Tie-Breaker Win in Doubles Helps WU Down Bellevue 5-4 in Exhibition

Ruby Thompson hits a groundstroke from the baseline. — Ruby Thompson (So., Bay City, OR/Tillamook HS)

February 18, 2022

Team Stats

Game Statistics	Bellevue	Willamette
Score	4	5

Doubles

Groener, Anika / Suzuki, Richelle def. Bakken, Adeline / Huffman, Alixandra 8-1
Blake, Ruby / Gibney, Camille def. Mueller, Jadyn / Mongkornkeo, Justine 9-8 (7-5)
Turner, McKenna / McIntyre, Allison def. No player / No player FINAL - FORFEIT

Singles

Groener, Anika def. Bakken, Adeline 6-1 , 6-3
Huffman, Alixandra def. Suzuki, Richelle 6-1 , 6-3
Mueller, Jadyn def. Blake, Ruby 6-0 , 6-1
Mongkornkeo, Justine def. Turner, McKenna 6-0 , 6-2
Habib, Emily def. Thompson, Ruby 6-2 , 6-3
McIntyre, Allison def. No player FINAL - FORFEIT

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- A victory by Ruby Blake (So., La Crosse, WI/Central HS) and Camille Gibney (Sr., La Crescenta, CA/Crescenta Valley HS) of Willamette University in a tie-breaker at #2 doubles helped the Bearcats defeat a shorthanded team from Bellevue College (Wash.), 5-4, in an exhibition match on Friday, Feb. 18 at the Salem Tennis and Swim Club. The NCAA doesn't count matches against two-year colleges. Bellevue is a member of the Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC) at the junior college level. Willamette competes in the Northwest Conference (NWC) and NCAA Division III.

Blake and Gibney defeated Jadyn Mueller and Justine Mongkornkeo, 9-8, winning the tie-breaker 7-5. The Bearcats also won #1 doubles, with Anika Groener (Fy., Bend, OR/Summit HS) and Richelle Suzuki (Fy., Mililani, HI/Mililani HS) rolling past Adeline Bakken and Alixandra Huffman of Bellevue. The Bulldogs had just five players, so Bellevue forfeited matches at #3 doubles and #6 singles.

Bellevue grabbed wins at #2, #3, #4, and #5 singles, but couldn't overcome the 3-0 deficit in doubles, plus the forfeit at #6 singles. Groener clinched the overall win for Willamette by prevailing at #1 singles, 6-1 6-3, against Bakken.

Winners for the Bulldogs were Huffman at #2 singles, Mueller at #3 singles, Mongkornkeo at #4 singles, and Emily Habib at #5 singles. Habib downed Ruby Thompson (So., Bay City, OR/Tillamook HS), 6-2, 6-3, in the #5 match.

The Bearcats are scheduled to play another exhibition match on Saturday, Feb. 26, against Highline College (Wash.). Match time at the Salem Tennis and Swim Club is set for 4 p.m. (PST).