Three-Set Wins Can't Save Boxers In Close Loss To Willamette
Box Score
SALEM, Ore. – A pair of hard fought three-set singles victories by
Cathlene Goya (Sr., Kaneohe, Hawaii) and
Megan Yoshimoto (Sr., Mililani, Hawaii) were not enough to lead Pacific past Willamette in a marathon match Saturday as the Boxers fell 5-4 in Northwest Conference women's tennis action at the Courthouse Tennis Center.
The seniors led three victories for the Boxers (6-9, 5-5 NWC) in the singles flights, but Willamette (6-6, 4-4 NWC) took what would be the deciding advantage by winning two of the three doubles matches contested to start the afternoon.
Goya played through an injured shoulder and jet lag off of the team's recently completed Florida trip to improve to 11-4 on the season, playing through a third set tiebreaker to beat Shannon Palmer at No. 1, 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (6-2). Yoshimoto, who missed the Florida trip due to class commitments, bounced back from a first set loss to take a three-set No. 2 singles victory from Sabrina Gutierrez, 1-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-7). Yoshimoto improved to 6-5 on the season.
Goya and Yoshimoto paired up for the first time since Florida in No. 1 doubles and continued their winning ways, improving to 7-4 on the year with an 8-6 win over Palmer and Gutierrez.
Lillian Do (Fr., Beaverton, Ore.), who also missed the Florida trip, returned to the lineup to collect her sixth singles victory of the season, taking a 6-1, 6-2 decision at No. 4 from Emily Bee.
Willamette built what proved to be the difference in the lengthy match with the wins in doubles. Bee and Denise Poltavski scored an 8-1 win at No. 2 over
Rachel Mizuno (Jr., Mililani, Hawaii) and Do while Elise Derby and Emily Funabiki were 8-6 winners over
Amber Craviotto (Fr., Eugene, Ore.) and
Kelsey Lack (So., Grants Pass, Ore.).
Poltavski was a 6-1, 6-2 winner in singles over Mizuno at No. 3 singles, while Funabiki scored a 6-2, 6-0 win over Craviotto at No. 5. Derby closed out the Bearcats' victory with a 6-1, 6-0 decision over Lack in the No. 6 match.
With the loss, Pacific now find themselves on the outside looking in at a Northwest Conference Tournament berth in fifth place with just two matches to go. The Boxers have one match next week, traveling north to Tacoma to face Puget Sound on Saturday.
