SPOKANE, Wash. – Returning to the courts after almost two weeks since their last match, the George Fox University Bruins proved to be no match for the Northwest Conference-leading Whitworth University Pirates as they fell by a 9-0 score in women's tennis Friday afternoon here at the Scotford Tennis Center.

The Pirates, who are ranked 6th in the NCAA Division III West Region, opened play with a pair of 8-3 doubles wins, Erica Bosman and Mya Towne topping the Bruins' Molly Beaumont and Mollee Robinson at No. 1, and Katie Staudinger and Megan Wingfield downing Cara Griffith and Liliya Abildayeva at No. 2.  The Bruins, who have played with a limited lineup all season and were without Allie Michelotti during the school's spring break, defaulted the No. 3 doubles match.  George Fox had not played since Mar. 13 when the Bruins had played Lewis & Clark College twice.

Whitworth also benefitted from the Bruins' lack of depth by getting default wins at No. 5 and No. 6 singles as well, and took the top four singles matches in straight sets.  Rachel Burns defeated Beaumont 6-0, 6-3 at No. 1; Alli Marshall downed Robinson 6-3, 6-4 at No. 2; Stephanie Reardon won the closest match of the day 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 over Griffith at No. 3; and Claire Hemming swept Abildayeva 6-0,6-0 at No. 4.

George Fox (0-11, NWC 0-10) goes to Walla Walla, Wash., Saturday to play Whitman College twice, once at 10:30 a.m. and again at 2:30 p.m.  Whitworth (13-3, NWC 11-0) visits Whitman Sunday at 1:00 p.m.  All are NWC contests.