WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- Whitman College tennis standouts Elise Otto and Matt Solomon have been named Northwest Conference Players of the Week.
Otto, a first-year player from Spokane, Wash., ran her NWC record at No. 1 singles to a perfect 5-0 with wins over a pair of senior opponents last weekend. Solomon, a sophomore from Los Gatos, Calif., was victorious at both No. 1 singles and No. 2 doubles last Saturday as the nationally ranked men's team posted its third consecutive shutout.
In her most impressive weekend victory, Otto posted a three-set triumph over Linfield's Kasey Kuenzli, the 2006 NWC Player of the Year, as Whitman was dropping a narrow 5-4 decision to the defending champion Wildcats. Whitman bounced back the next day to beat Willamette University 8-1, with Otto knocking off Tiffany Kam in two sets and teaming with sophomore Margo Lentz for the win at No. 1 doubles.
The Whitman men, ranked No. 15 nationally in NCAA Div. III, ran their NWC record to 5-0 while blanking Willamette 9-0 in their only match of the week. Solomon beat Bearcat senior Eric MacMillan in three sets and also teamed with his older brother, Daniel Solomon, for the victory in doubles.
The men's team has now won its last 23 NWC regular season matches.
Solomon, a graduate of St. Stephen's Episcopal School in Austin, Texas, leads the Whitman men to Tacoma this weekend for two more NWC matches. Whitman plays at Pacific Lutheran at 10 a.m. and at Puget Sound at 3 p.m.
Otto, a graduate of Spokane's Lewis & Clark High School, and the Whitman women will host two NWC foes this weekend, starting with Puget Sound at 1 p.m. Saturday. Pacific Lutheran comes to Walla Walla for a noon match on Sunday.
Dave Holden
Sports Information Director
Whitman College, Walla Walla, Wash.
(509) 527-5902; holden@whitman.edu