FOREST GROVE, Ore. – Top Linfield doubles team
Emma Tuttle and
Kaitlynn Canubida pushed first-place Pacific's No. 1 duo as far as they could go Saturday but the Wildcats fell to the Boxers 7-0 at Holce Tennis Courts.
Tuttle and Canubida put together one of their top performances as a tandem this season, forcing a tiebreak against All-American Cassidy Binder and partner Chloe Takahashi but eventually fell in a grueling match at the top of the doubles lineup.
Pacific continued to show why they're one of the fastest rising squads in the western region of Division III tennis, improving to 6-1 on the season, all against Northwest Conference opponents, after finishing as runner up last season at the NWC Tournament.
The Boxers carried their momentum through doubles into singles for a sweep on the day, partly due to two Wildcats being forced to retire.
Saturday's match also maintained the Boxers' tie with Whitman for first place in the league standings and dropped Linfield to 1-5 in the NWC.
DOUBLES
Tuttle and Canubida faced a tough test against Binder and Takahashi with the former coming off of Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-American honors in both doubles and singles after collecting 2024's NWC Player of the Year award.
Linfield's tandem fought valiantly to force the tiebreak but in the end lose by two points, 7-5 (9-7), continuing to battle even after the match's doubles point had already been clinched for the Boxers.
While the No. 1 teams were going toe-to-toe, Pacific won handily the rest of the doubles scorecard with Sofia Mazzola and Tiara Yeung shutting out
Sam Baltz and
Emily Redwood at No. 2 and Valentina Casab-Klescova and Mia Yamaguchi beating
Sundi King and Lilliana Cano 6-1.
SINGLES
After a marathon match at the top of doubles Binder and Tuttle started off singles with a rematch at No. 1 but it was the Pacific senior, ranked by the ITA as the No. 3 player in the West Region and No. 17 DIII player in the country, who showed her championship pedigree with a 6-0, 6-0 win.
The win at the top of the ladder served as the clincher for the Boxers after the team score quickly moved to a 3-0 lead for them after Redwood and King were both forced to retire at No. 4 and 5, resulting in wins for Casab-Klescova and Yeung.
Canubida and Baltz both competed well in the No. 2 and 3 flights but both ended in straight-set wins for Pacific with Takahashi besting Canubida 6-2, 6-3 and Mazzola winning against Baltz 6-2, 6-2.
The Boxers swept the scorecard with a 6-1, 6-0 win for Yamaguchi over Reese at No. 6.
NEXT
Linfield will be back at home tomorrow, Sunday March 9, to host the Willamette Bearcats (1-3, 0-1). The Wildcats then host George Fox March 15 before taking a break from conference play to visit three members of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference over Linfield's spring break.
