Septembre Russell
Copy editor

Men’s tennis matches last weekend against Whitman College and Whitworth University had opposing outcomes.
The team lost its second NWC game against Whitman on March 6. Against Whitworth on March 7, the victory belonged to the Wildcats, 8-1.
Freshman Walt James, alongside his partner, sophomore Brent Kingzett, competed in a doubles match opposite Whitman.
“We had a shaky start against Whitman,” he said “We weren’t really up to the task all that much, and we were relying on second serves.”
Sophomore Tal DeWitt said the team was cognizant of Whitman’s level of competition and knew that the match would be challenging.
“We wanted to beat them, but it was a really close match; all the matches were pretty even,” he said.
DeWitt contended with Whitman junior Kellen Oetgen. He said the competition began well and digressed into a tiebreaker.
“Both my matches ended up kind of being the same match because I went to a tiebreaker in both of them, and then I pulled it out,” DeWitt said. “They were both really close.”
The ’Cats’ defeat was close, DeWitt said, and for that reason it didn’t feel like a loss. Securing a victory against Whitman College is a team goal as well as is advancing to nationals, DeWitt said.
“We put up a good fight,” he said. “I think that we know that we can beat them the next time.”
James said the team played well against Whitworth.
“We came out pretty dominating on Saturday,” he said “I guess we started to choke a little bit because we knew that they were one of the toughest competitions.”
Competition will continue March 14 when Linfield will challenge Pacific Lutheran University at 10 a.m. and University of Puget Sound at 3 p.m., both in Tacoma, Wash.
The Wildcats relinquished games to Pacific in the past, DeWitt said. However, the two teams competed Feb.14 and the results, 8-1, were in the ’Cats’ favor.
“To win [against Pacific], I think, gave us lots of confidence, and I think that we’re going to do really well this weekend,” he said.
The undefeated status of the James-Kingzett doubles team does not define them, James said, and that they were doubles partners in high school.
“We’ve known each other for a long time now; we’re pretty synchronized especially when we’re relaxed and we’re winning,” he said ”We get loose and start playing. Well, that’s when the real teamwork comes out.”
The duo acknowledges that they are practically the prevailing doubles team in the conference, James said.
This weekend he will focus on singles as conflicting schedules prevent Kingzett’s attendance, James said. He also said that his last match against UPS ended in defeat and that with hope, the same outcome will not reoccur.
“I think we’ll be a strong team and do what we can to get the win,” DeWitt said.