MCMINNVILLE, Ore. – Facing the defending conference champions with multiple players battling illness, Linfield put on a valiant effort in Rutschman Fieldhouse Sunday afternoon but lost 7-0 to the Whitman Blues.
The win was the fourth straight overall for the Blues and their fifth against Northwest Conference opponents going back to their first meeting with the Wildcats on Feb. 9 in Walla Walla, Wash., improving them to 6-2 overall and 5-1 in league play for first in the NWC.
Linfield fell to 1-6 on the year and 1-5 in conference action.
DOUBLES
Emma Tuttle and
Kaitlynn Canubida played a competitive match at No. 1 doubles but were unable to hand Whitman's top team, Sascha Wells and Bailey Bell, its first loss of the season as the Blues duo won 6-4.
Sam Baltz and
Emily Redwood saw their three-match winning streak snapped at No. 2 doubles, taking their first loss of the year in a 6-2 win for Nana Vang and Julia Longpre.
Whitman swept the doubles slate with a 6-0 win for 2024 all-NWC First Team selection Ilina Jha and partner Piper Rylander over Wildcat freshmen Liliana Cano and
Sundi King.
SINGLES
After sweeping the morning slate the Blues were able to use their experience and depth advantages to do the same in singles against the young Wildcats by entering four new players that did not appear in doubles action into the lineup.
That was evident at the top of the ladder as Tuttle and Canubida both had to take on rested players at No. 1 and No. 2 singles.
Tuttle was bested in straight sets by another first team all-league player in Jin-Olivia Yu 6-3, 6-4. Canubida seemed headed for a fourth consecutive victory taking an impressive first set against Arianna Castellanos but was eventually outlasted by the Whitman senior 1-6, 6-0, 6-2 in the clinching match for Whitman at 4-0.
Baltz faced Wells in the No. 3 flight but was forced to retire just three games in, setting up Castellanos to clinch, quickly followed by another win for the Blues at No. 5 singles for Erica Mock against Redwood 6-0, 6-0.
At No. 5 singles Bell beat King 6-0, 6-1 while freshman
Elise Reese managed to take a game in each set off of senior Kaylah Tan at No. 6.
NEXT
Linfield visits Pacific on Saturday, March 8 in Forest Grove, Ore. for the Wildcats' final NWC road match until April 6. The Boxers are 4-1 with all their matches this season against conference opponents and their lone loss coming at Whitman on Feb. 23.
Linfield returns to their home courts the next day to host Willamette. Both matches are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.
