WALLA WALLA, Wash.– Top-seeded Whitman and second-seeded George Fox both won their semi-final matches and will advance to the NWC Championship match held at the Whitman Tennis Courts on Sunday at 12pm.
In the first match of the tournament, the Whitman Blues swept No. 4 seeded Pacific with a dominant 4-0 win. Whitman sophomore Alexander Stage and senior Noah Baker put up a 6-0 win on the number one doubles court, while teammates Charles Rush and Artem Manov posted a 6-3 win on court two. In singles, Whitman secured the match victory from straight set wins from Cameron Yang (No. 2), Alexander Stage (No. 1), and Lucas Huang (No. 3).
The Bruins took on No. 3 seeded Lewis & Clark for the second semi-final match of the day, and finished with a dominant 4-0 win. George Fox advanced to the final after claiming the doubles point on court one and three– graduate senior Lars Schmassmann and junior Keita Shoji posted a 6-2 win, while Luis Hernandez and Ikuho Ebisu also put up a 6-2 win on court three. In singles, George Fox claimed victory from wins from Zach Moore (No. 2), Ikuho Ebisu (No. 3), and Jackson Whittaker (No. 5).
The Whitman Blues and the George Fox Bruins will continue their run for the NWC Championship title on Sunday, April 20th at 12pm. The winner of the match will be the automatic qualifier for the NCAA Division III National Tournament, held in Claremont, California in late May.