NEWBERG, Ore. -- Bruins beat Pacific in a close one, closing out the day with a 4-3 victory to upset the Boxers.

How it Happened
The back-and-forth day started in doubles matches, with Pacific winning the point 2-1. Riley Bobkiewicz and Kalli Wiker played a tight match against Cassidy Binder and Chloe Takahashi, but ultimately fell 6-4. The Boxers secured the doubles point a minute later when Sophie Denham and Shanah Denham couldn't hold on, also losing 6-4. Arianna Rader and Cassey Hitch closed things out to avoid the sweep, winning 6-3 as the teams headed into the singles matches. 

Juhree Kizziar got things going for the Bruins in the No. 5 spot, winning a quick one 6-1, 6-0 to even the match up at one apiece. The Boxers bounced right back, though, with Binder taking down Bobkiewicz in the No. 1 singles. The Bruins sophomore played well, but ultimately fell to the No. 17 ranked singles player in the nation 6-2, 6-2. Abigail Bond was the next to come in, playing well in the first set and slipping in the second, as the Boxers took a 3-1 lead after a 6-3, 6-1 Bruins loss. 

The Bruins needed to win all three of their final matches to secure the victory, and they did just that. Sophie Denham finished her match 6-3, 6-2 in the No. 4 spot, and Shanah Denham also squeaked out a close one 7-5, 6-2 to tie the match up. It all came down to the No. 2 match between Wiker and Takahashi, which came down to the wire. Wiker won the first set 6-4, then closed it out with a massive 7(10) - 6(8) victory to give the Bruins the win. 

The Boxers were picked to finish one spot ahead of the Bruins in the preseason poll, so the Bruins picked up a massive win in regular season play. These two teams have history as well, with the Boxers knocking the Bruins out of the conference tournament the last time these two met. The Bruins got it done today, though, and finished the first half of conference play with a 6-1 record. 

Coach's Thoughts
"Amazing weekend for the team," said Bruins head coach Rick Cruz. "I thought we started slow in doubles against Willamette but our singles played really well all through the lineup. I knew Pacific was going to be tough - we have had many close matches the last few years with them so it was great to see everyone step up in singles after a close loss in the doubles. Kalli had an amazing comeback to close out the win for the team! I couldn't be more excited about what this team has accomplished so far and hopefully, we can continue to improve moving forward."

What Happens Next
The Bruins travel to rematch Linfield next Saturday, March 11th at 11:00 am.