WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- Hadley DeBree, a first-year player on the Whitman College women's tennis team, has been named Northwest Conference Player of the Week.
DeBree, who plays No. 1 singles and No. 2 doubles, was at the heart of two victories last Saturday that gave the Missionaries sole possession of third place at the midway point of the NWC season. With a 6-2 conference record (8-3 overall), Whitman has one more loss than second-place Puget Sound and two more losses than first-place Linfield.
DeBree played a pivotal role in Saturday's 6-3 victory over Whitworth. Whitman was in danger of getting swept in doubles, and falling behind 3-0 in the team scoring, when DeBree and her doubles partner, Divneet Kaur, rallied from 4-1 and 6-3 deficits to win 8-6 in the No. 2 doubles match. DeBree and Kaur are now 8-0 this season in the No. 2 slot.
In her No. 1 singles match, DeBree lost her first set to Whitworth senior Rachael McCoola before bouncing back to win the next two sets. DeBree's victory was one of three matches in singles that went to three sets, with Whitman winning two of them. Missionary senior Maura Flaherty also posted a three-set triumph at No. 6 singles.
After outlasting Whitworth, Whitman rolled to an 8-1 victory over Pacific Saturday evening. DeBree did not play in doubles, but she notched an easy 6-0, 6-2 victory at No. 1 singles.
In the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings, DeBree is ranked No. 15 in singles in the West Region of NCAA Div. III. As a team, Whitman is ranked No. 13 regionally. DeBree, a resident of Ketchum, Idaho, is a graduate of Wood River High School in Hailey, Idaho.
Whitman hosts three matches this weekend, starting with a 9 a.m. showdown on Saturday with conference-leading Linfield. Earlier this season, the Missionaries dropped a 5-4 decision to Linfield in a match played in McMinnville, Ore.
Whitman plays a second tough match Saturday against non-conference rival Lewis-Clark State. That match is set to begin at 3:30 p.m. The Missionaries then finish their weekend with a Sunday morning NWC match (9:30 a.m.) with Willamette, a team they downed 7-2 last month in Salem.
The Linfield and Willamette matches will be played in the Bratton Tennis Center. Depending on the weather, the Lewis-Clark State match may be played outdoors.
Dave Holden, Whitman Sports Information, (509) 527-5902
Email: holden@whitman.edu