TACOMA – With wins in four of six singles matches, the Pacific Lutheran women's tennis team opened the 2016 spring season with a come-from-behind 5-4 Northwest Conference win over Pacific Saturday afternoon at Sprinker Recreation Center.

"The team showed up ready to compete today, and they fought hard to win a close match against Pacific," PLU head coach Lorrie Wood said.

Three of the singles round matches went to three sets, with PLU claiming two of those victories. Caroline Dreher defeated Kaitlyn Lomartire 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 in the top singles match, and Lilly Le posted a three-set comeback win over Carlee Rhodabeck 4-6, 7-5, 6-2. Meanwhile, Samantha Lund pushed Danielle du Plooy to three sets in the second singles match before falling 3-6, 7-5, 6-2.

"Caroline played very well to earn an impressive win at number one singles, and Lilly battled back after losing the first set and being down 5-2 in the second to win the second and third sets," Wood said. "And Emily Bower and Emily Beemsterboer won both their doubles and singles to finish off the points we needed to win the match."

Bower and Beemsterboer won the fourth and five singles matches, as Bower defeated Kanani Kea 6-2, 6-0 and Beemsterboer downed Marissa Hayashi 6-1, 6-1. Chantell Baclay picked up a 6-2, 6-1 win over Megan Beyers in the third singles match.

Pacific won the first two doubles matches, as Lomartire and du Plooy defeated Lund and Dreher 8-4 and Kobayashi and Baclay defeated Beyers and Ingrid Ericksen 8-3. Bower and Beemsterboer teamed to down Kea and Hayashi 8-4 in the third doubles match to set the stage for the Lutes' comeback in the singles round.

"I am really proud of the way this team battled today," Wood said. "This was a great way to kick off our season. I look forward to our match with Willamette tomorrow."

The Lutes head to Oregon Sunday for a 12 p.m. match against Willamette in Salem.