The Linfield Wildcats women’s tennis team faced the Whitworth Pirates at the Rutschman Field House with little struggle and winning 8-1.

In doubles competition, Ella Riddle, ’18, and Elsa Harris, ’19, won 8-4. Marisa Doveri, ’17, battled tough doubles competitors but won 8-6.

Courtney Mostul, ’17, and Marisa Kume, ’17, won decisively 8-4. The Wildcats were up 3-0 leading in doubles.

They moved onto singles action with confidence. Riddle remained undefeated, very decisively and won 6-2, 6-0. Harris won decisively as well with some tough points and won 6-4, 6-3.

Doveri went three sets and won 6-4, 1-6, 7-5. Kume went two sets and a tiebreaker and won 6-4, 3-6 (6-6) tiebreaker and her opponent retired.

Laurel Nelson, ’18, made her first varsity appearance at the sixth singles position winning a hard fought battle 7-5, 6-4.

Mostul would be the lone loss, which would have gone through three sets but since Linfield had already won, they did a tiebreaker which gave Mostul’s opponent the only point on Whitworth’s scoreboard.

“Our performance showed that we are able to come together and show our best effort. At one point, Basia [Kopecka] and I were down 2-5, but were able to come back and grab the win and secure us a 3-0 advantage,” Doveri said.

“Looking forward to the rest of the season, it’s important for us to rest up over spring break as possible to heal some injuries and come back stronger and continue pushing ourselves in practice and challenging each other to get better every day,” Doveri said.

The Lady ’Cats faced Whitman and probably felt the same after the identical outcome happened at the beginning of the season.

Whitman is ranked 25^th nationally and fourth regionally compared to Linfield nationally ranked at 35 and regional ranked at 9.

The ’Cats had won four straight until Sunday.

In doubles action, sophomore Ella Riddle and freshman Elsa Harris battled in one doubles and won 8-4. They would be the lone doubles team that would end on the victorious side.

At number two position, Kopecka and Doveri went down 8-4. At number three, sophomore Sierra Lemon and Kume went down 8-3.

The score being 1-2 going into doubles is not a familiar feeling for this team. They had some catching up to do in singles.

Riddle would be the lone winner in singles actions for Linfield winning in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1. Harris pushed through three hard-battled sets but losing 2-6, 6-2, 7-5.

Doveri, as well, going three tough sets and it not swinging in her favor, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3. Kume at four singles went down in straight sets 6-2, 6-1.

Mostul had some better luck in singles action for the ’Cats but ultimately going down 6-3, 6-3. And Lemon in six singles going down 6-2, 6-1.

The Lady ’Cats don’t play another match until after spring break and will return to home court and face Bellevue College at 1pm on April 2 in McMinnville. The Lady ’Cats improve to 5-2 in Northwest Conference play.