Bearcats Fall 4–3 to Linfield Despite Doubles Sweep

Reese Beyrouty and Alexa de Crinis with 6-0 shutout

March 15, 2026

Team Stats

Game Statistics	Linfield	Willamette
Score	4	3

Doubles

Reese Beyrouty / Alexa de Crinis def. Kaitlynn Canubida / Emily Redwood 6-0
Eva Lief / Sofia Spencer def. Sundi King / Gianna Molony 6-2
Grace O'Steen / Alicia Sola def. Lyla Khlee / Steffenie Stark 6-3

Singles

Kaitlynn Canubida def. Alexa de Crinis 7-5 , 2-6 , 7-6
Emily Redwood def. Reese Beyrouty 6-4 , 6-1
Sundi King def. Sofia Spencer FINAL - UNFINISHED
Eva Lief def. Gianna Molony 6-0 , 6-1
Lyla Khlee def. Alicia Sola 6-1 , 6-3
Katie Briggs def. Lilianna Cano 6-1 , 6-2

SALEM, Ore. – In a match that came down to the thinnest of margins, the Willamette University women's tennis team fell to the visiting Linfield Wildcats 4-3 on Saturday. Despite a blistering start and a clean sweep in doubles play, the Bearcats were unable to fend off a singles rally by the Wildcats in a contest that saw several matches decided by just a few points.

The afternoon began with a statement of intent from the Bearcats. Willamette completely owned the doubles portion of the event, securing the opening point with clinical efficiency.

At the No. 1 spot, the duo of Reese Beyrouty and Alexa de Crinis set the tone early, dismantling Linfield's Kaitlynn Canubida and Emily Redwood in a perfect 6-0 shutout. The momentum continued at No. 2, where Eva Lief and Sofia Spencer cruised to a 6-2 victory, while Grace O'Steen and Alicia Sola completed the sweep with a 6-3 win at the No. 3 position.

With a 1-0 lead heading into singles, the Bearcats looked poised for a victory. However, a forfeit at the No. 3 singles spot proved to be a costly hurdle, handing an automatic point to Linfield and tightening the race.

Eva Lief continued her stellar day at No. 4 singles, showing no mercy in a 6-0, 6-1 masterclass over Gianna Molony. At the No. 6 spot, Katie Briggs was equally impressive, putting the Bearcats back in the win column with a dominant 6-1, 6-2 performance against Lilianna Cano.

The overall match outcome rested on the top of the bracket. At No. 1 singles, Alexa de Crinis fought through an absolute marathon against Kaitlynn Canubida. After dropping the first set 7-5, de Crinis roared back to take the second 6-2. The third set went to a grueling tiebreaker, but Canubida managed to edge out the win, securing the decisive point for the Wildcats.

While the 4-3 final score favors Linfield, the Bearcats proved they can go toe-to-toe with the top of the conference.

The Bearcats will look to bounce back and carry the momentum from their doubles dominance into their next conference matchup, as they face Salisbury University on Tuesday, March 17th at 12:30 pm.