Fox's Season Ends with 4-1 Semifinal Loss to Whitman

Results

#1 Doubles
UNFINISHED	1	2
Bobkiewicz, Riley / Denham, Shanah [GFU-WT]	1	0
Renata Rosell / Nana Vang [WC-W]	4	UF

#2 Doubles
FINAL	1
Denham, Sophie / Kizziar, Juhree [GFU-WT]	0
Sascha Wells / Gloria Lau [WC-W]	6

#3 Doubles
FINAL	1
Schnurbusch, Nicole / Gardner, Audrey [GFU-WT]	1
Bailey Bell / Jules Thompson [WC-W]	6

Order of Finish: 2, 3

#1 Singles
FINAL	1	2
Bobkiewicz, Riley [GFU-WT]	5	1
Nana Vang [WC-W]	7	6

#2 Singles
FINAL	1	2
Denham, Shanah [GFU-WT]	6	6
Renata Rosell [WC-W]	2	0

#3 Singles
UNFINISHED	1	2	3	4
Denham, Sophie [GFU-WT]	6	0	3	0
Sascha Wells [WC-W]	2	6	0	UF

#4 Singles
UNFINISHED	1	2	3
Kizziar, Juhree [GFU-WT]	6	4	0
Julia Longpre [WC-W]	2	3	UF

#5 Singles
FINAL	1	2
Gardner, Audrey [GFU-WT]	2	1
Bailey Bell [WC-W]	6	6

#6 Singles
FINAL	1	2
Schnurbusch, Nicole [GFU-WT]	0	1
Gloria Lau [WC-W]	6	6

Order of Finish: 6, 2, 1, 5

WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- The George Fox women's tennis team ended their 2026 campaign with a hard-fought 4-1 loss to the top-seeded Whitman Blues in the Northwest Conference semifinal match.

How It Happened
Despite the final score, the match against the Blues showcased resilience from the Bruins, with multiple players stepping up in key moments. The previous meeting between the two teams ended in a 5-2 win for Whitman during the regular season, showing that an upset was within reach against the then-No. 36 ranked team in the nation.

Sophie Denham and Juhree Kizziar opened doubles play on Court No. 2 with a tough 6-0 loss, followed by a 6-1 loss from Audrey Gardner and Nicole Schnurbusch on Court No. 3. Riley Bobkiewicz and Shanah Denham were trailing 4-1 against the No. 5 doubles duo in the West Region before their match was ruled incomplete, securing the doubles point for Whitman heading into singles.

Facing a deficit, the fourth-seeded Bruins needed a strong showing in singles against an All-Conference-heavy Whitman lineup. The Blues extended their lead with a win on Court No. 6, as Schnurbusch fell 6-0, 6-1, followed by a 6-2, 6-1 loss from Gardner on Court No. 5.

With the match nearing its conclusion, Shanah Denham provided a spark for the Bruins with a dominant 6-2, 6-0 victory on Court No. 2. Bobkiewicz battled at the top spot and had the first set level at 5-5 against a tough opponent, but ultimately dropped it 7-5 before falling 6-1 in the second, clinching the match for Whitman.

Although two matches went unfinished, the Bruins were competitive across the board. Sophie Denham was in the midst of a third set, leading 6-2, 0-6, 3-0, while Kizziar remained in contention after winning the opening set and trailing 4-3 in the second when play was halted.

Overall, the Bruins closed their season in respectable fashion, with the match closer than the final score indicated. A single swing in one of the unfinished or tight singles contests could have changed the outcome and pushed George Fox into the Northwest Conference finals.

Coach's Thoughts
"The girls played great today," said Bruin head coach Rick Cruz. "They put themselves in a position to win against the best team in the conference. It would have been nice to get the win, but it didn't quite go our way."

Up Next
With the loss, the Bruins conclude their season with a 10-10 overall record and an 8-6 mark in conference play. George Fox will return to action in the fall at the ITA events in late September.

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