by Jared Beilby, Student Intern

BEAVERTON, Ore. – Because of the threat of inclement weather, the George Fox University Bruins hosted the Whitman College Missionaries at the Tualatin Hills Tennis Center here Saturday afternoon in Northwest Conference women's tennis play and were unable to pull off an upset of their regionally-ranked opponents in a 9-0 loss. 

Despite getting shut out, the Bruins (3-2, 2-2 NWC) managed to steal some games in six of the nine matches against the Missionaries (3-5, 2-0 NWC), who are ranked fifth in the NCAA Division III West Region. The Missionaries are also the two-time defending NWC champions and have won 19 straight conference dual matches.

The best match of the day for the Bruins was an 8-5 No. 3 doubles defeat as the team of sophomores Megan Dahlberg and Ali Diehl fell for the first time this season, losing to junior Morgan Lawless and sophomore Jenna Dobrin. Dahlberg and Diehl are now 4-1 on the season. At No. 1, senior Alyssa Emoto and junior Chantelle Hadeed fell 8-1 to juniors Courtney Lawless and Maddy Webster. At No. 2, the duo of sophomore Katrina Allick and junior Erin Bell won an 8-0 sweep of sophomore Krista Rey and freshman Taylor Barnes.

On the singles side, Hadeed collected four games but fell 6-1, 6-3 to Bell in the No. 3 match. At No. 4, Rey also won four games in a 6-2, 6-2 loss to Allick, ranked 21st in the region.  Courtney Lawless, ranked third in the region, swept Emoto 6-0, 6-0 in the No. 1 singles match. At No. 2, Barnes earned three games in a 6-1, 6-2 loss to Dobrin. At No. 5, Webster swept Dahlberg 6-0, 6-0, and at No. 6, senior Hannah Palowitz defeated Diehl 6-0, 6-1.

NEXT: George Fox travels to the University of Puget Sound (3-1, 1-1 NWC) for a match on Friday in Tacoma, Wash., at 4 p.m. … Whitman ventures to Lewis & Clark College (0-4, 0-3 NWC) in Portland, Ore., for a match on Sunday at 10 a.m.