GEORGE FOX 7, PACIFIC LUTHERAN 2: Bruins Open New Season with Win over Lutes

Box Score

TACOMA, Wash. – Getting their 2009 women’s tennis season off to a good start, the George Fox University Bruins opened up with a 7-2 win on the road over the Pacific Lutheran University Lutes in a Northwest Conference match Saturday afternoon here at the University of Puget Sound’s indoor courts.

The Bruins started off by capturing two of the doubles matches.  At No. 1, PLU’s Ashley Coats and Ashley Brooks defeated GFU’s Mollee Robinson and Corinne Borrelli 8-2, but the Bruins bounced back to win at No. 2, Courtney Banks and Betsy Ann Penman knocking off Ali Burnside and Makara Thach 8-1, and at No. 3 as Shanna Lesire and Liliya Abildayev prevailed over Caitlyn Hoerr and Mary Stang 8-6.

The Bruins sewed up the match by taking the top five singles duels.  At No. 1, Robinson won a down-to-the-wire battle with Brooks 6-2, 4-6, 7-6.  No. 2 went to Borrelli over Coats 7-6, 6-4.  Banks rallied past Kristi Bruner at No. 3, 7-5, 6-3, after trailing 5-2 in the first set.  Lesire won at No. 4 over Jessica Wilson 6-3, 6-4.  No. 5 went to Penman over Hoerr 6-2, 6-4.  The only singles match the Lutes won was at No. 6, where Burnside defeated Abildayev 6-0, 6-3. 

George Fox (1-0, NWC 1-0) returns home Sunday to host Pacific University at 12:00 noon.  Pacific Lutheran (0-3, NWC 0-2) plays again next Saturday at Lewis & Clark College at 12:00 noon.