This past weekend, the Linfield Wildcats women’s tennis team once again proved to be the team to be reckoned with as they dominated doubles and singles at the ITA 2016 Fall Northwest Women’s Regional Championship.

Ella Riddle, ’18, and, Elsa Harris, ’19, came out on top as champions. This doubles team swept away the competition winning 5-7, 6-3 and 11-9 against Whitman College duo Hanna Greenberg and Mary Hill.

Riddle after championship emotions, “just unbelievable, I couldn’t – I kept replaying it in my head as if it hadn’t happened. It was just ten times better that I got to do it with someone like Elsa, who is such an amazing player and person. We fought really hard and we were up against the two girls that had all morning off and got to sleep in and warm up at their time. I had two matches that morning and Elsa had played a long matches on Saturday, so for us to come in and bring it back and win it was just incredible.”

Riddle, was also runner up in the singles championship, she was out-battled by Lewis & Clark’s Wiktoria Plawska. She got her revenge when she beat out Plawska’s double pair in the semi-finals for doubles.

The Wildcats battled fierce competitors from all the Northwest Conference teams.

The ‘Cats had two players seeded. Riddle entered as the top seed for singles and doubles alongside partner Harris, who entered as eighth seed for singles.

Riddle’s overall feelings entering the tournament, “I was excited to play some matches again and get back into the competitive season, but also a little worried about how my body will hold up. I had some injuries going into it and that was a little nerve racking, but mainly just excited to start competing again.”

The Wildcats had nine players competing in singles. Four ‘Cats competed in the second round, two in the third and fourth. There was four double teams competing, all four made it to the second round and again two in the third and fourth.

Riley Clayeux, ‘20, and Basia Kopecka, ’18, made it all the way to the semifinals in doubles play.

“the tournament was a lot of fun,” Sarah Sweet, ‘20, said.

Sweet continued, “Our number one doubles team won the whole tournament and are going to nationals in two weeks, it was very exciting for the whole team.”

Marisa Doveri, ’18, was the consolation singles winner of the tournament.

Riddle, on her favorite point of the final match, “we had gone 9-6 up and then the Whitman team had brought it back to nine-all and tie breaker. I made kind of a mistake shot, Elsa ran across and hit this insane inside-out forehand winner to take us up 10-9. Then, we won 11-9- and just having her to have my back like that was just amazing” Riddle continued.

Riddle and Harris will be competing at the ITA Oracle Cup, also known as ITA National Small-College Championships, Oct. 13-16 in Surprise, AZ.