By: Ryan Lackey

SALEM, Ore. --- The Bruins began their spring season with a good showing at Whitman College, last year's Northwest Conference champions, in their 6-3 loss to the Missionaries.

Recap:
Whitman swept all three doubles matches. In the #1, Lindsey Brodeck and Allie Wallin defeated the Bruins's Sarah Tuemmler and Kristen Mock, 8-1. Catrina Kwong and Ellen Pearson were closer in the #2, but the duo of Bruins lost to Mary Hill and Jana Klages-Miller, 8-5. Ali Diehl and Andrea Motley fell in the #3, 8-3.

Tuemmler won the #1 singles match over Jenna Dobrin, who defaulted. In the #2 singles, Kwong bowed out to Brodeck, 6-1, 6-1. But, in the #3 match, the Bruins's Taylor Barnes gutted out an impressive three-set win. Both the first and third sets went into tiebreakers, with the third an especially long and embittered affair. But Barnes took the match, 7-6 (3-0), 2-6, 1-0 (11-9).

Pearson won the #4 singles over Hanna Greenberg, 6-4, 7-5. Motley put in a good performance in the #5 singles but couldn't quite top Gilbert, who won 6-4, 6-3. Ali Diehl lost to Lori Sheng in the #6 match, 6-0, 6-2.

Top Performers:
Barnes's gutsy performance in the #3 singles was the most notable performance of the day and made for captivating tennis.

What It Means:
The Bruins begin their 2016 season with a loss, but a respectable one, to the defending champions.

What Comes Next:
The Bruins play Whitworth tomorrow afternoon.