Women's Tennis | 2/8/2015 2:32:00 PM

LEWISTON, Idaho - The spring opener for Whitman College's women's tennis team Sunday morning was an uphill climb against the NAIA's 17th ranked team from Lewis-Clark State College, but the NCAA Division III Missionaries, ranked 29th, went down swinging in their 8-1 non-conference defeat at the hands of the host Warriors.

"For our first match of the spring we showed a lot of positives," said head coach John Hein. "We played a nationally-ranked NAIA team that was match-ready with four dates already under its belt," Hein said of the 0-4 Warriors. "I was pleased with how we got better as the morning wore on, especially at 1 and 2 [singles] as they found their rhythm and played some great tennis."

The hosts swept doubles to carry a 3-0 lead into singles play.

Erin Bell collected Whitman's point with a come-from-behind win at 2-singles over LCSC's Stephanie Buckingham. Bell dropped the opening set, 6-4, but roared back with a 6-0 win in the second to square the match. Buckingham tried to keep up but Bell wore down her opponent to take the third, 6-4, and capture the victory.

Jenna Dobrin at No. 1 singles almost claimed a come-back as well after falling behind with a 6-1 loss in the opener to the Warriors' Putri Dwinta. Dobrin pounded out a 6-2 win in the second and maintained that momentum well into the third before succumbing to Dwinta, 6-4.

Whitman opens defense of its 2014 Northwest Conference crown in its next match, traveling to Spokane, Washington, to take on Whitworth University in a 10 a.m. match Saturday morning.