SALEM, Ore. – The Pacific Lutheran men's tennis team got back into the win column Saturday afternoon, picking up a 6-3 Northwest Conference win over Willamette at the WU Tennis Courts.

Pacific Lutheran improved to 2-4 overall and 2-3 in conference play, while Willamette fell to 1-3 overall and 1-2 in the NWC. The Lutes return home for Sunday's match, taking on 13th-ranked Whitman at Lakewood Racquet Club at 10 a.m.

"We showed up today, sick and all," PLU head coach John Cassens said. "We got some inspiring performances from Sam Angel, Sam Stadter and Chris Erkkila got the first win of his PLU career."

Stadter won his singles match at the top of the ladder, defeating Willamette's Blake Brash 6-1, 6-0. Angel, Jeremy Marsh and Erikkila swept the bottom half of the ladder for the Lutes. Angel defeated Jacob Blaisdell 6-4, 6-3, while Marsh defeated Samuel Rowe 6-2, 6-2, and Erkkila knocked off Jesse Mackinney 6-0, 6-4.

Sam Wexman won the second singles match for Willamette, defeating Noel Oteng-Mensah 6-4, 6-1. Gunnar Lee defeated James Okubo 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in the third singles match.

The doubles round saw the Lutes take two of three. Stadter and Okubo teamed to take down Lee and Blaisdell 8-5 in the first match and Oteng-Mensah and Marsh teamed to defeat Rowe and Derek Crain 8-0. Wexman and Brash knocked off Angel and Erkkila in the second match 8-3.