NEWBERG, Ore. --- The George Fox men's tennis team came up with a 7-2 win against traditional NWC power Whitman on Saturday, Apr. 17, to take over the top spot in the conference standings with a 7-2 win.

How It Happened

The Bruins swept doubles to jump ahead in the match 3-0 with hard-fought wins at first and second doubles and a decisive win at the third doubles flight. Will Leach and Luke Lematire combined for an 8-5 win in the first flight, while Rox Rogers and Hunter Fujimori scrapped their way to an 8-6 win in the second flight. Camden Camacho and Vahag Pashayan worked together for the final victory with a decisive 8-2 win in the third flight.

In singles, Leach earned a hard-fought victory over the Blues' no. 1 singles player with a 2-6, 6-4, 10-8 final. Lemaitre swept his no. 2 singles opponent 6-0, 6-0, and Alle Banna came away with a 7-6 (2), 6-3 win at no. 4 singles. Rogers notched a 6-4, 6-4 win at the no. 5 singles spot to finish the day with the 7-2 team win.

Their Thoughts

"The guys played great doubles today and really brought a lot of good energy and movement," coach Jeff Cero said after the match. "Singles did great too; the guys were a little up and down at times with their focus, but they played well on pressure points for the most part. This is a very big win and another big step towards our goals as a team - I'm very proud of the guys!"

What It Means

The Bruins improve to 7-4 overall and are 6-0 this season in Northwest Conference matchups, giving them pole position for the NWC Tournament later this season. Whitman's perfect season is no more as they fall to 8-1 and 6-1 in conference.

What Happens Next

George Fox closes out the regular season with matchups against Linfield and Lewis & Clark - both matches are road contests for the Bruins.