SALEM, Ore. — The Bruins started their weekend with a statement win against Willamette, taking down the Bearcats, 6–1.
How It Happened
The Bruins looked to snap a two-game losing streak in their second conference game of the season against Willamette. Both of Fox's losses had gone down to the wire, with the team narrowly falling short. Today, the Bruins didn't leave room for any late-match decisions.
The most friction between the two teams began in doubles.
Sophie Denham and
Riley Bobkiewicz fought hard to put away the Bearcats early after claiming the first two points of the match. However, Willamette went game-for-game after clawing back to tie it at 2–2. The junior and senior then held down Court 1 and defeated WU, 6–4, giving the Bruins their first doubles win.
The Bearcats pushed the final doubles-point decision to the third match of the day after
Audrey Gardner and
Nicole Schnurbusch nearly completed a comeback. After falling behind 4–0, they battled back to tie it 4–4 before ultimately falling, 6–4.
Shanah Denham and
Juhree Kizziar took control on Court 2, willing the Bruins to the doubles point after their set reached 6–6. They won the tiebreaker, 7–3.
Singles play was a different story. So. Denham dropped just two games total against Reese Beyrouty, winning handily, 6–2, 6–0. Not far behind was Sh. Denham, who took the first set, 6–1, but saw the second set tighten after Alexa De Crinis tied it at 3–3. The junior then regained control and closed out the match, 6–3.
Kizziar won her match with little resistance, 6–1, 6–0, claiming Court 3. Gardner battled to a 4–4 tie in her first set before taking the next two games to win, 6–4. She then dominated the second set, 6–0, securing the deciding victory on Court 5 to officially give the Bruins the edge over Willamette.
Schnurbusch finished her match by coming back from a 3–0 deficit in the first set to win, 6–3. She followed with another comeback in the second set, also winning, 6–3, in impressive fashion.
Abigail Gonzales closed out the day with a strong effort, falling in two sets, 6–0, 6–0.
Fox demonstrated a noticeable improvement in resilience, responding well when trailing and handling competition with composure. These positive signs could be a precursor of what's to come in future conference matchups this season.
Coach's Thoughts
"This was a solid win for us," said Bruin head coach
Rick Cruz. "We've had a couple of close losses, so it was nice to get a win. Everyone had to step up a spot in the lineup because Riley was not able to play singles, and they all did a great job. We will need another solid performance tomorrow."
What Happens Next
The Bruins will stay on the road and head to Tacoma, Wash., to compete against Puget Sound tomorrow, February 22, at 11:00 a.m.
