FOREST GROVE, Ore. – Linfield women's tennis competed in the first of two fall tournaments over the weekend at the Pacific 5-Way Pre-ITA Tournament, facing Oregon-based Northwest Conference opponents in preparation for next weekend's Intercollegiate Tennis Association Northwest Regional Championships.
 
Several Wildcats showed promise, including a semifinal appearance from Linfield's top two players.
 
The tournament was split into two draws, with matchups set by doubles pairs. Duos from each school competed in a doubles match, with then two singles matches played between the four opponents. Whichever team took at least two out of the three of the contests advanced to the next round.
 
RED FLIGHT DRAW
The weekend was highlighted for Linfield by the performance of top doubles team Kaitlynn Canubida and Emily Redwood.
 
The Wildcat's top-of-the-ladder players opened the tournament against Willamette's top team of Eva Leif and Sofia Spencer, leading to a competitive opening round.
 
Canubida and Redwood were poised for success after besting their Bearcat opponents 6-4, but neither Leif of Spencer went away easily in singles action.
 
Canubida cruised in the opening singles set against Spencer but dropped the second, eventually outlasting her in a tiebreak to win 6-0, 2-6 (10-7) to clinch a trip to the semifinal for Linfield's top seeds.
 
Redwood's singles match told a similar story, as she was also forced to win by tiebreak against Lief but managed to complete the first-round sweep with a 6-3, 4-6 (10-6) victory.
 
In the semifinal they faced a tough challenge against Pacific's Stella Nishimura and Chloe Takahashi, who would go on to be champions of the Red Flight Main Draw.
 
Nishimura and Takahashi took the doubles match 6-2, and then were able to advance with a 6-1,6-0 win for Takahashi over Redwood. Canubida tried to resist the sweep for a valiant effort that saw her take the first set, but eventually fell by tiebreak in a 4-6, 7-6 (8), 10-2 win for Nishimura.
 
Sundi King and Gianna Molony also represent Linfield in the Red Flight but were ushered out of the main draw in the first round by Willamette's Alexa De Crinis and Reese Beyeouty.
 
King and Molony managed competitive matches in the consolation draw but fell in all three contests to Pacific's Tiara Yeung and Henleigh Elder. The Boxer pair won the doubles match 7-5, before Yeung defeated King 8-7 (3) and Elder defeated Molony 8-4.
 
BLACK FLIGHT DRAW
Lilianna Cano and Sophie Benke represented the 'Cats in the Black Flight, facing off with another Pacific team of Mia Yamaguchi and Brooke Curtis. The young Wildcat duo was unable to take a set, finding themselves beat 6-0 in doubles and on the wrong end of a pair of 6-0, 6-0 results in singles.
 
NEXT
The Wildcats won't travel far for the ITA Fall Regional Championship, with the George Fox Bruins hosting in Newberg, Ore.
 
Opening serve for the first round will be at 8 a.m. Friday at the George Fox Tennis Center, with matches continuing through Saturday into championship action on Sunday.