Women's Tennis Nails Down Second Place, Looks to Playoffs

News Release Date:
Saturday, April 14

WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- Whitman College nailed down second place in the final Northwest Conference women's tennis standings -- its highest finish since 2007 -- with a 7-2 victory over Lewis & Clark on Saturday in Portland, Ore.

Whitman, now 15-4 on the season and 10-2 in the NWC, got rolling by taking two of three matches in the opening slate of doubles, and then added victories in five of six matches in singles.

Alyssa Roberg

Lewis & Clark finished its season at 3-9 in conference and 3-10 overall.

Whitman takes the No. 2 seed into next weekend's four-team NWC post-season tournament, which will be hosted by top-seeded Linfield in McMinnville, Ore.

Courtney Lawless

The Missionaries will play a Saturday semifinal match against No. 3 Whitworth. A victory in that match means Whitman would play Sunday for the NWC's automatic berth in the NCAA DIII national championship tournament.

Whitman, ranked No. 8 in the West Region, forged its early lead against Lewis & Clark with wins in the top two matches in doubles.

Junior Alyssa Roberg and first-year teammate Courtney Lawless were 8-1 winner at No. 1 doubles, subduing Lisa Osepyan and Jill Coleman.

Junior Kate Kunkel-Patterson and first-year Missionary Morgan Lawless won 8-4 at No. 2 doubles, downing Gillian Lowe and Olivia Sweetman.

Morgan Lawless

The Pioneers picked off a team point at No. 3 doubles, where Makena McCluskey and Thersa Grigsby beat Whitman sophomores Hadley Scherer and Erin Minuth.

Two Missionaries -- Morgan Lawless at No. 3 and Scherer at No. 5 -- posted 6-0, 6-0 wins in singles.

Roberg at No. 1 singles and Courtney Lawless at No. 2 both won by 6-0, 6-3 margins.

Sophomore Maggie Eismeier was a Whitman winner at No. 6 singles with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Catherine Eichhorn.

Lewis & Clark scored its other team point at No. 4 singles. Olivia Sweetman got past Kunkel-Patterson 7-6 (7-2), 6-1.

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