Whitman Defeats Lewis and Clark 8-1

4/5/2014 8:40:00 PM

WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- Sometimes, an opponent's excellence exerts gravitational pull, making it easy for a conference leader like Whitman to reciprocate -- and play great tennis.

Other times, both the bootstraps and the pulling are a make-it-yourself affair.

It was under the latter circumstance that the Missionaries women's tennis team -- tied for first place in the Northwest Conference, ranked fifth in the region, ranked 23rd in the nation -- dispatched Lewis and Clark 8-1 in an NWC match Saturday at Whitman's outdoor courts.

In lieu of a potent foe, the Missionaries (8-8, 8-0 in NWC) kept their focus on another formidable opponent: themselves.

"We tried not to give points away. We tried to play our tennis," said Madison Webster, who gift-wrapped the proceedings by gutting out a 2-6, 6-4, 10-4 (tiebreaker) victory at fourth singles in the final match of the morning. "We were out here to win, bada-bing, bada-boom."

"If the (other) team is lacking energy, you have to create your own," added Courtney Lawless, a 6-1, 6-0 stomper at first singles. "That's something we've worked on this semester."

Webster's win, a taut affair against Gillian Lowe with the match outcome long decided, put an exclamation point on a match that began with more of an ellipsis.

Playing outdoors for just the third time this season, missing several key players due to injury or other obligations, and braving a chilly, early-morning breeze, Whitman got off to "kind of a slow start," Lawless noted.

"We did not have a lot of energy," she said. "But everyone really stepped up, especially in singles. We played hard. We played fast."

Lawless credited Allie Wallin (a 6-0, 6-0 winner at third singles) and Hannah Palkowitz (victorious at fifth singles, 6-0, 6-2) for the reset in tone.

Katrina Allick (6-3, 6-2) and Seana Minuth (6-2, 6-0) waltzed to wins at second and sixth singles, respectively, as the Missionaries completed a sweep of their one-on-one encounters.

"We don't have all of our players," said Lawless. "Everyone was playing a higher spot. When we play better teams down the road, they'll have more confidence."

Lawless and Webster won 8-1 at first doubles, and Wallin and Palkowitz prevailed 8-4 at third doubles for Whitman.

The team hung around after the match for some court time with 4-to-7-year-olds as part of Campus Kids Day, carrying over their enthusiasm from the win to the postgame frolic.

"We did a good job of pumping each other up," Webster said. "There are times when it can get lonely on the court, and there were a lot of distractions today. It's important to find that focus. We did a good job of between-court cheering."

Whitman hosts Whitworth at 2 p.m. next Saturday.

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