The Whitworth women’s tennis team swept host Lewis & Clark 9-0 on Friday to defend their 2010 Northwest Conference title.

The Pirates (2-2, 1-0 NWC) edged out L&C in two close doubles contests and had little trouble winning the remaining matches.

At No. 2 doubles,  junior Erica Bosman and senior Katie Staudinger defeated Whitney DeBree and Jill Coleman 9-7.  Sophomore Megan Wingfield and junior Siri Carlson grabbed an 8-6 victory against L&C’s Makena McCluskey and Olivia Sweetman at No. 3 doubles. Whitworth’s senior Rachel Burns and junior Alli Marshall defeated Amalia Nilsson and Isabelle Borris 8-2 at No. 1 doubles.

In the singles contests, Burns defeated Nilsson 6-3, 6-1 at No. 1 singles. Bosman got a 6-2, 6-4 victory over DeBree at No. 2 singles. For both Pirates, the matches marked the first career wins over their L&C opponents.

Only one of the singles matches went to a third set, and Staudinger pulled ahead to defeat Coleman 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in No. 4 singles.