March 6, 2008

WOMEN’S TENNIS: Lutes Host Linfield, Pacific in Conference Matches

THIS WEEK: Pacific Lutheran (3-3 overall, 3-3 NWC) hosts Linfield, Friday, 3:30 p.m.; PLU hosts Pacific, Saturday, 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

LUTES HOST DEFENDING CHAMPS: After losing Northwest Conference matches at Whitworth and Whitman last weekend, the Lutes return to Parkland to play conference powerhouse Linfield at 3:30 p.m. Friday. The Wildcats have won the past six consecutive conference championships and are unbeaten in six NWC matches this season, though they are 6-3 overall. The team’s leader is Kasey Kuenzli, the 2006 Northwest Conference Player of the Year who has returned after a year off because of a serious knee injury. Two other seniors, Kelli Sides and Molly Nelson, give the Wildcats solid experience and a reason to believe that they can win their seventh straight NWC crown.

HISTORY LESSON: Which school was the last to win a Northwest Conference women’s tennis championships prior to Linfield’s current six-year streak? It was Pacific Lutheran, which won three straight titles from 1999-2001.

ALSO ON TAP: In addition to hosting the Wildcats, Pacific Lutheran will play a Northwest Conference “doubleheader” against the Pacific Boxers on Saturday. The teams are scheduled to hit the court at 11 a.m., take a break, and then return for more at 3 p.m. The Boxers, as they have in recent years, sit at the bottom of the conference standings with a 0-6 record, and they are 0-7 overall. Combined, the Pacific players have won only eight sets while losing 53 this season.

WEATHER PERMITTING: This being the Pacific Northwet (or Northwest, if you prefer), the possibility exists that the weekend tennis matches might be moved to the University of Puget Sound indoor courts. PLU fans should be aware of that possibility.

THE WHITS PREVAIL: Pacific Lutheran dropped a pair of Northwest Conference matches last weekend east of the mountains. On Saturday afternoon in Spokane, Whitworth defeated the Lutes, 5-4, and on Sunday the Whitman Missionaries knocked off Pacific Lutheran, 8-1. Against Whitworth, the Lutes started out by taking two of the three doubles points. Erika Feltus and Ashley Coats defeated Lexy Harrington and Linh Aven at No. 1 doubles, 8-3, and Liz Currey and Emily Starr pulled out a win over Rachel Burns and Taryn Smith at No. 2, 9-8 (8-6). Whitworth rallied to win four of the six singles matches to take the 5-4 team victory. Winning singles matches for the Lutes were Currey at No. 2 and Starr at No. 5. Currey defeated Harrington 6-3, 6-4, and Starr beat Smith, 7-5, 6-0. In the pivotal No. 1 singles match, Burns and Feltus battled before the Whitworth player won 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. Coats picked up the Lutes' lone point against Whitman, defeating Margo Lentz, 6-1, 6-3, at No. 3 singles. PLU came close in the first two singles matches, losing both in three sets. At No. 1, Elise Otto rallied to beat Erika Feltus, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, while at No. 2 it was Hadley DeBree knocking off PLU's Liz Currey, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3.

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