Moshevich Aces Second NWC Net Honor

News Release Date:
Tuesday, March 22, 2011

WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- For the second time in as many weeks, Whitman College senior Etienne Moshevich has been named Northwest Conference Student Athlete of the Week for men's tennis.

Etienne "ET" Moshevich                                                       Photos by Greg Lehman

The award, announced Tuesday, recognizes Moshevich's contributions to three Whitman matches early last week in California.

Moshevich was in top form as Whitman finished a grueling stretch of six Spring Break matches in six days with a near upset of No. 12 Cal Lutheran on Wednesday, March 16.

With No. 19 Whitman having dropped the first two matches in doubles, Moshevich teamed with sophomore Jeff Tolman for a 9-8 (7-3) comeback victory in the No. 2 slot.

"Even though we trailed 2-1 after doubles, Jeff and ET gave us a much needed lift," Whitman coach Jeff Northam said.

"We were down in the scoring but our fighting spirit was restored. What unfolded in singles was one of the most amazing matches I've ever seen."

Cal Lutheran quickly jumped to the doorstep of victory with the first two decisions in singles, stretching its lead in the team scoring to 4-1.

Moshevich at No. 2 singles and freshman Andrew La Cava at No. 3 also dropped their first sets.

Sophomore Sam Sadeghi started Whitman's rally with a 6-4, 6-1 win at No. 6 singles.

Meanwhile, junior Adriel Borshansky won his first at No. 5 singles but then lost his second. With Whitman down 4-2, all three remaining matches in singles moved to third sets.

"I sat with ET through most of his second and third sets, and he had a look in his eyes that said he wasn't going to lose," Northam said.

"I don't know what else to say about ET. He's just a ferocious competitor."

Moshevich

After losing his first set 6-1, Moshevich took the next two sets 6-4, 6-3, slicing Whitman's deficit to 4-3. Soon thereafter, Borshansky captured his third set 6-0 to square the match at 4-4.

That left the final score resting on the outcome at No. 3 singles, where La Cava was locked in a three-set battle with junior Justin Wilson.

Down a break at 3-4 in the third, La Cava broke back and then held serve at love to grab a 5-4 lead. The Whitman freshman quickly earned two match points, moving in front 40-15, but then missed two winners by the slimmest of margins.

Wilson held serve at that point and eventually outlasted La Cava in a close match tie-breaker. 

"I believe this is only the second time in my coaching career where the final team score was decided 7-6 in the third set of the final match," Northam said.

"I can't give my players enough credit for this match. This was our sixth match against national-level teams in six days. We weren't used to playing outdoors, dealing with the heat, and all were dead tired.

Sadeghi

"Yet through all this we never lost our composure or belief in one another. Obviously I would have been thrilled to beat No. 12 Cal Lutheran on its home courts, but honestly I don't think I could have been more proud of the young men on our team."

In Whitman's other two matches last week against No. 15 Bowdoin and the University of Texas-Tyler (No. 28 in the latest rankings), Moshevich split his two matches in singles and two matches in doubles.

On the season, Moshevich is 8-2 in singles (3-0 Northwest Conference) and has teamed with Tolman for a 10-3 (6-0 NWC) mark in doubles.

Moshevich, a two-time ITA All-American, and his teammates are 7-0 in the NWC standings and on track for a fourth straight conference title.

Whitman has won its last 73 NWC regular season matches. Its last non-tournament loss to a conference foe was in April of 2006.

Borshansky

Whitman has five regular season dates remaining on its NWC slate, starting with a match against Pacific in Forest Grove, Ore., on Saturday, April 2.

Whitman then plays its final four matches at home, beginning with a Sunday, April 3, twinbill against Whitworth.

The regular season ends on Saturday and Sunday, April 9-10, with home matches against Puget Sound and Pacific Lutheran.

If Whitman retains its lead in the NWC standings, it will host a four-team post-season tourney on April 16-17. The winner of that tourney gets the NWC's automatic berth in the NCAA Division III national championship field.

Whitman is pursuing a fifth straight appearance in the national tournament.

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CONTACT: Dave Holden
Sports Information Director
Whitman College, Walla Walla, Wash.
509 527-5902; holden@whitman.edu