WALLA WALLA - Something had to give Saturday afternoon when No. 27 nationally-ranked Whitman opposed Whitworth in a Northwest Conference women's tennis match.Â
Both teams entered the contest with unblemished league records. The Missionaries, rated No. 4 in the latest NCAA Division III West Region poll, were 8-0 and the Pirates stood at 9-0.
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With the inside track to the conference title hanging in the balance, and in spite of a 20-minute rain delay that forced action from outdoor courts to the Bratton Tennis Center, Whitman delighted alumni, families and friends in attendance with a 9-0 blanking of the Bucs.
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The Missionaries edged above the .500 mark with the win in its regular-season home finale and are 11-10 overall.
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Whitworth is now 11-4.
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"I'm so happy for the team," Whitman coach John Hein said. "We know how hard we've worked and we've improved so much. The whole team has really come together.Â
"To make a statement like that is a testament to those attributes," Hein said.
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Whitman's three doubles victories each had their own identity - one was close, another was a crusher, and the most lopsided affair took on a conquering quality.
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"Katrina and I stepped up and brought the energy," Bell said. "We finished balls well."
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"We were moving together and following through with our shots," Allick said. "We were able to finish shots earlier."
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"It was fun for me - playing the No. 1 doubles team from fall finals," Lawless said.
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"It wasn't our best tennis, but it was so fun," Webster said.
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Dobrin (#2) and Allie Wallin (#4) both charged back from one-set deficits to win their respective singles matches. Lawless (#1), Bell (#3), Allick (#5), and Webster (#6) all won in straight sets. "Whitworth is a great team," Lawless said. "It was nice to get out there and work for it. I love those matches."
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"I'm really thrilled," Dobrin said. "Our support and hard work came together. We knew it wouldn't be easy, but our being united, intense and focused got us the win today."
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"I did what I had to do to get through it," said Bell, who excelled despite an illness. "We brought our stuff, took care of business, and played our brand of tennis."
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"It was a great day," Allick said. "We've improved incredibly at every spot. I couldn't be more proud of the team."
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"The accuracy of my serves helped a lot," said Webster, who trailed her match 0-3 in the opening set. "I was more aggressive at the net and (connecting) on one more ball than my opponent."
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The day was especially gratifying for Wallin. Family members were on hand to witness her performance including her sister Hannah, who plays for Whitworth.
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"I played my sister's doubles partner," Wallin said. "I was not feeling it in the first set.
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"Jenna was playing next to me," Wallin said. "She helped me a lot because she was fighting so hard - so I wanted to fight hard."
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All in all, it was a great day on the court for the Missionaries.
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"We knew how much was at stake," Webster said. "We talked before the match about how we had to play our style of tennis. We got it done."
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"We got dialed into that feeling in which everyone was in a good groove," Dobrin said. "We stayed focused and kept our eyes on the prize."
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Whitman ends its regular season with three NWC road matches next weekend. The Missionaries play Linfield on Friday at 4 p.m., and Willamette (9:30 a.m.) and Pacific (3 p.m.) on Saturday.
