BEAVERTON, Ore. - Pacific Lutheran played its closest match of the young 2011 season on Friday but came out on the losing end of a 5-4 decision against the George Fox Bruins in a Northwest Conference women's tennis contest played at the Tualatin Hills Tennis Center.
The match was originally scheduled for the GFU campus courts, but rain and snow two days earlier and extreme daytime cold temperatures forced the contest indoors.
PLU's Leah Newell and Tina Aarsvold got the team off to a strong start at No. 1 doubles with an 8-6 victory over Alyssa Emoto and Shaina Inn. The host Bruins bounced back to win the next two doubles matches, and that provided the swing point when the teams split in singles action. Second Team All-NWC player Molly Beaumont, fighting an upset stomach that sometimes had her leaving the court, teamed up with Cara Griffith as the Bruins evened the match with an 8-3 win at No. 2 doubles over the Lutes' Deanna Ellmer and Hailey Rile. George Fox went ahead with an 8-6 win at No. 3, Bethany Nguyen and Liliya Abildayeva prevailing over Saiyare Refaei and Caitlyn Hoerr.
The Bruins secured the match with singles wins by Inn over Refaei 6-1, 6-0 at No. 3, Griffith over Ellmer 6-2, 6-3 at No. 5, and Abildayeva over Rile 6-3, 6-4 at No. 6. Beaumont, who had been moved down to No. 2 singles and was trailing 2-1 to Aarsvold in the first set when the results were assured in the Bruins' favor, promptly retired at that point. PLU then picked up additional wins at No. 1, Newell topping Emoto 6-2, 7-5, and at No. 4, where Hoerr edged Nguyen 7-5, 2-6, 1-0 (10-8).
The Lutes, now 0-3 this season, return to conference action at noon tomorrow when they play the Willamette Bearcats in Salem.
- PLU -
