NEWBERG, Ore. -- The George Fox women's tennis team clinched a spot in the Northwest Conference tournament on senior day with a win against Willamette, taking down the Bearcats, 8-1.
How It Happened
Prior to the match, the Bruins recognized their five seniors:
Emily McDonald,
Brenna VanderYacht,
Olivia Morris,
Stephanie Ramirez Barreto, and
Ellie Mangan.
In doubles play, the Bruins would see themselves winning easily over the number two and three teams for the Bearcats.
Arianna Rader and
Kalli Wiker won, 8-0, and
Ellie Mangan and
Brenna VanderYacht won, 8-1. In the closest doubles match on court one, the
Cassey Hitch and
Olivia Morris team fought for a win in a tiebreaker, winning, 8-7 (7-3).
Heading into singles, the Bruins looked to continue the winning trend. Number one singles,
Kalli Wiker, swept her match, 6-0, 6-0. Wiker wasn't the only one to do so, as
Brenna VanderYacht was also able to keep her opponent scoreless in her win. Two additional Bruins would only give up one game to their opponents as
Emily McDonald and
Stephanie Ramirez Barreto won 6-1, 6-0.
Ellie Mangan played in a close match, losing out in a tiebreaker set, 6-2, 7-6 (9-7). In the final win of the day,
Olivia Morris won by a score of 6-4, 6-2.
With the win against the Bearcats, the Bruins hold on to third in the conference securing themselves a spot in the conference tournament.
Coach's Thoughts
"After an emotional senior day for our 5 seniors, the girls came out and swept the doubles, which set the tone for the match," Bruin head coach
Rick Cruz said, "It was great having all of the seniors contribute to the win and finish on such a positive note. I'm excited that we get to compete for the third straight season next week in the conference tournament!"
What It Means
The Bruins are now 9-8 overall and 5-2 in Northwest Conference play, while the Bearcats fall to 1-11 overall and 1-6 in NWC.
What Comes Next
The Bruins will head on the road to play in the NWC Conference tournament next weekend. The start times and opponent list of those matches are still to be determined.
