MCMINVILLE, Ore. – The Linfield women's tennis team began Northwest Conference competition right where they left off last season, cruising to a 9-0 win at home Saturday.
It was the second time this season the Wildcats (4-1, 1-0) have secured a sweep, both instances against the Bearcats (0-4, 0-1) in Rustchman Field House.
The win continued a streak of 44 straight wins for Linfield against Willamette. The Wildcats have not lost to the Bearcats since 1997.
Nine of the last 10 meeting between the two southernmost Northwest Conference schools have ended 9-0.
DOUBLES
The Wildcats set the tone and quickly took care of business in doubles action, including seniors Lexie Matsunaga and Allena Wong improving to 2-1 as Linfield's No. 1 pair this season.
Matsunaga and Wong beat Willamette's Richelle Suzuki and Anika Groener 8-2 in the top doubles flight.
Taryn Fujimori and Emma Tuttle also moved to 2-1 in the No. 2 flight with a with an 8-1 win over Alexa de Crinis and Ruby Thompson.
In the No. 3 flight Sarah Forester and Alexis Garner improved to a team best 4-1 with another 8-1 win against McKenna Turner and Paisley Lieske.
SINGLES
With Linfield holding a 3-0 lead Matsunaga rested through singles and Fujimori played in the No. 1 singles spot.
Fujimori handled Suzuki 6-2, 6-0 to improve to 2-2 when playing top singles flights on the year.
The most competitive match of singles action proved to be the No. 2 flight with Forester battling to a 6-4, 6-4 win over de Crinis to clinch the match for the 'Cats at 5-0.
From there the Wildcats were nearly untouchable, with Wong and Tuttle taking 6-0, 6-1 wins against Groener and Thompson in the fifth and sixth flights.
Freshman Lisa Ponti won her third singles contest of the season with a 6-2, 6-1 win in the No. 5 flight against Lieske, and Garner sealed the shutout with a 6-1, 6-0 win, her first of singles play this season, in the No. 6 over Alicia Sola.
NEXT
The Wildcats will make the quick trip to Newberg tomorrow to play their rival George Fox Bruins (4-2, 1-0).
They'll then enjoy three straight at home, hosting Whitworth and Whitman on March 10 and 11 before taking a brief break from the NWC schedule to host Colorado College on March 26.
