CLAREMONT, Calif. – The start of a four-match swing in Southern California got off to a challenging start Monday as the No. 29 Whitman College women's tennis team suffered a 9-0 loss to sixth-ranked Bowdoin (Maine) College at the Biszantz Family Tennis Courts on the campus of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges.

The Missionaries (8-3), who just finished off a pair of conference wins two and three days prior, weren't as energetic in the match Monday morning against the Polar Bears (4-2).

The pairing of Hanna Greenberg and Madison Webster brought the toughest challenge to Bowdoin at No. 3 doubles as the Whitman pairing fell narrowly, 9-7, to the Bowdoin tandem of Emma Chow and Samantha Stalder.

Entering singles action trailing 3-0 Whitman accumulated just nine game victories in six straight-set defeats.

The Missionaries look to get their legs back underneath themselves Wednesday when they square off against the University of La Verne at the Claremont Club. Thursday brings another non-conference match as the Whits and Vassar College meet in Irvine, California. The spring break trip concludes at the University of Redlands Friday afternoon.