The women’s tennis season began on Sunday with a 6-3 loss to Lewis and Clark State in Lewiston.

While the start isn’t what the team wanted, players feel there are positives to pull from the match in order to create a successful season.

“Everyone really came together as a team, cheering off and on the court,” freshmen Erica Lee said. “We supported each other whether we were winning or losing the match.”

Lee’s first two matches of the Spring season were both victories. Lee won her singles match 3-6, 7-6, 7-5 and combined with Emily Sandquist, ‘20, to win 8-6 in doubles.

The Whitworth women continue their season next week with home matches against George Fox on Saturday and Lewis and Clark on Sunday. Saturday’s match begins at 10 a.m. Sunday’s starts at noon.  

The Pirates were picked to finish as the sixth best team in the conference this season after ending last year with a 6-6 record in Northwest Conference play.

The men’s tennis season is off to a rocky start after losses on the road to Eastern Washington and Lewis and Clark State.

The Bucs were blown out by the Division I Eagles 7-0 before losing to the Lewis and Clark State’s 13th-ranked squad 8-1.

Ian Fisher, ‘18, was the lone Pirate to come away from the weekend with a victory. He defeated LCSC’s Roberto Salazare 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to score Whitworth’s only point of the weekend.

“We knew it would be a test going into the weekend, and it will be a learning experience for us,” Fisher said. ‘We’re looking forward to the conference season next weekend.”

The Pirates begin the conference season next weekend with matches at George Fox on Saturday and Lewis and Clark on Sunday.

Whitworth finished last season with an 8-4 record in the Northwest Conference. They were picked to finish fifth by conference coaches in their preseason poll.