The women’s tennis team won both of their matches last weekend for their final two regular season conference games against the University of Puget Sound and Pacific Lutheran University.
Whitworth blew out Puget Sound 9-0 Saturday, clinching a No. 4 Northwest Conference playoff spot in the process.
“I feel good about my game personally, and feel confident in the team as well going into next week’s conference playoffs,” senior Saryn Mooney said. “These are two solid games this weekend and are important preparation for us next week.”
Mooney won her doubles match partnered with sophomore Bella Hoyos, 8-2, and won her singles match in two quick sets starting at the number three spot. Due to injury, Puget Sound only had 5 active starters, so there were only two doubles matches and five singles matches, but the Bucs won them all in convincing fashion.
Whitworth started of the day with two dominant doubles wins, and then finished it off by not dropping a set in all five of their singles matches. Junior Taylor Peña and sophomore Anabelle Burns did not drop a game in their respective singles matches, while Hoyos started at the No. 1 spot and had a convincing win.
On Sunday, the Bucs won their final regular season match of the season, 5-4, against PLU in Parkland, Washington.
“It was rewarding to play with Morgan, another senior, in doubles today,” senior Caylee Lamm said. “I think we were consistent and played our game, as we had to be the aggressor for the most part of it, but once we figured that out, it worked pretty well.”
Whitworth started off the day winning two out of their three doubles matches, and then tied their singles matches, 3-3. Lamm won her doubles match partnered with fellow senior, Morgan McDivitt, 8-4, while Mooney and Hoyos had a dominant 8-1 win in their doubles match. In singles, Mooney and Burns both won their respective matches fairly easily in straight sets, while McDivitt had a thrilling 8-6 win in the third set.
The Bucs will enter the NWC Tournament on Friday against undefeated and regular-season conference champions: Whitman. Whitworth is in a must-win situation in order to continue their season with hopes of making the NCAA Tournament.
“If we are going to beat Whitman we are going to have to come out with more intensity and energy than we did today, and just have confidence with our game,” McDivitt said. “In doubles, the key was keeping the ball cross-court, and then Caylee did a good job with poaching at the net and attacking the right short ball. In singles I played well also so hopefully I can take this confidence into the next match at Whitman.”
Lamm is also not ready for her tennis career at Whitworth to be over, and says that for Whitworth to beat Whitman in the rivalry, “having a positive attitude and playing to our strengths will be key.”
