2/16/2008 - Bruins Drop Two Matches on Season-Opening Trip to Eastern Washington
Whitman Box Score 2/15 / Whitworth Box Score 2/16
WALLA WALLA/SPOKANE, Wash. - It was a tough start to the season for the George Fox University women's tennis team as the Bruins dropped both their matches on a road swing through eastern Washington, falling 9-0 at Whitman College in Walla Walla on Friday and 9-0 at Whitworth University on Saturday in Spokane.
Four Bruins made their college debuts in the Whitman match and acquitted themselves very nicely. Heather Orr at #1 singles fell 6-2, 6-0 to Elise Otto, Mollee Robinson dropped a 7-6, 7-5 squeaker to Divneet Kaur at #4, and Betsy Ann Penman split sets before losing to Alex Robinson 2-6, 6-2, (10-4). In doubles, Orr teamed with Brittany Ekstrom at #2 and fell 8-5 to Kaur and Hadley DeBree, while Robinson and Sarah Ashpole fell 8-4 to Katie Oost and Jacquie Frank at #3.
In other singles against the Missionaries, who are ranked 11th in the West Region, Lindsay Hagler fell 6-3, 6-0 to DeBree at #2, Ekstrom was ousted 7-6, 6-2 by Margo Lentz at #3, and Alayna Shaw fell 6-1, 6-1 to Oost at #5. The Bruins' top doubles t4eam of Hagler and Kelsie Howell was blanked 8-0 by Otto and Lentz.
On Saturday against a much-improved Whitworth squad, most of the matches were not quite as close. Orr fell at #1 singles to Rachel Bruins 6-1, 6-2, Hagler fell to Lexy Harrington 6-1, 6-1 at #2, Ekstrom fell 6-2,6-0 to Linh Aven at #3, Robinson was shut out by Katie Staudinger 6-0, 6-0 at #4, Shanna Lesire in her first match of the year fell to Taryn Smith 6-2, 6-4 at #5, and Courtney Banks dropped a 6-3, 6-0 decisiin in her first college match to Justine Hays at #6.
In doubles, the Pirates' Aven and Harrington downed the Bruins' Hagler and Howell 8-3 at #1, Smith and Bruns blanked Orr and Ekstrom 8-0 at #2, and Hays and Staudinger defeated Robinson and Ashpole 8-1 at #3.
George Fox is now 0-2 overall and in the Northwest Conference, while both Whitworth and Whitman are 2-1 overall and 2-0 in the conference.
The Bruins play their first home match Friday at 2:00 p.m. against Pacific Lutheran University. With the George Fox men also scheduled against PLU at home at the same time, the two teams will be making use of either the city-owned Jaquith Park courts or Newberg High School as well as their own campus courts.