NEWBERG, Ore. - Playing on campus for the first time all season after finally catching a break in the midst of a record-rainy March, the George Fox University Bruins, short-handed for the second match in a row, dropped a 7-2 decision to the Lewis & Clark College Pioneers in Northwest Conference women's tennis action Wednesday here at the GFU courts.

With Bethany Nguyen unavailable again after missing last Saturday's match against Linfield College due to the stress of an automobile accident, the Bruins began actual play down 0-2 because of forfeits at the No. 6 singles and No. 3 doubles.  The teams split the doubles matches that were played, Lewis & Clark's Amalia Nilsson and Isabelle Borris overpowering George Fox's Molly Beaumont and Cara Griffith 8-1 at No. 1, but the Bruins' Alyssa Emoto and Shaina Inn edging the Pios' Jill Coleman and Olivia Sweetman 9-7 at No. 2.

The Pios clinched the match by winning four of the five singles matches that were staged, Liliya Abildayeva picking up the Bruins' only win with a 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 win over Makena McCluskey at No. 5.  The visitors' wins went to Nilsson over Beaumont 6-0, 6-2 at No. 1; Whitney DeBree over Emoto 7-5, 1-6, 1-0 (10-3) at No. 2; Borris over Inn 6-4, 6-2 at No. 3; and Coleman over Grifftih 6-1, 6-3 at No. 4.

Wednesday's match was the makeup of a previous rainout on March 12.  The Bruins had played all five of their earlier home matches at the Tualatin Hills Tennis Center's indoor facilities 20 miles away in Beaverton before finally getting a chance to play on campus. 

NEXT: George Fox (4-11, NWC 1-8) will return the match with a visit to Lewis & Clark (3-7, NWC 3-5) this Saturday at 1:00 p.m. ... Before then, the Pios will host Linfield Friday at 3:30 p.m.