SALEM, Ore. — The Bruins men's tennis team opened up their weekend with a powerful 5-2 win against the Willamette Bearcats today. The Bruins have not lost a contest against Willamette since April 9, 2011.

How it Happened
After facing a tough defeat in Orlando versus a worthy competitor in Franklin and Marshall, Fox bounced back to take down the Bearcats on the road, sweeping doubles and taking the edge over Willamette in singles.

Doubles saw a recurring duo matchup of Aiden Cruz and Zach Moore defeating their opponents 6-0 on Court No. 1, while Keita Shoji and Ikuho Ebisu nailed a 6-2 victory versus the Bearcats' No. 2 doubles partners. On Court No. 3, Luis Hernandez and Joseph Vece put together their first win as partners of the season, sealing the sweep with a score of 6-3.

In singles, Moore fought through a tough first set to claw out set one 6-4 before taking down his opponent 6-3 in set two for the Bruins on Court No. 1.

Shoji had little trouble against the No. 2 opponent, only dropping three games between both sets, winning 6-1, 6-2. Hernandez had to step out early due to injury on Court No. 3, which gave the Bearcats their first of two points on the day. Hernandez took set one 6-4 but was trailing 1-3 in set two before retiring due to injury.

Ebisu stole set one from Hudson Snyder 6-2 and battled hard despite losing four games to pull out the 6-4 victory in set two on Court No. 4.

Cruz coasted on Court No. 5 after winning both his sets decisively (6-1, 6-0), being the only Bruin of the day to win a singles set 6-0.

Court No. 6 featured Vece, who nearly claimed victory in the first set before falling 7-5 and ultimately losing 6-2 in set two.

What it Means
After today's victory, the Bruins improve to 6-7 overall and hold a 5-4 record in the Northwest Conference, while Willamette falls to 2-11 overall and 1-9 in conference competition.

What's Next
George Fox men's tennis will drive up to Tacoma, Wash., to face off against Puget Sound for their final road duel of the weekend. The match is set to begin on March 29 at 11:00 a.m.