WALLA WALLA, Wash.  Robert Carter and Ben Kirsh earned three-set victories in singles action to push No. 21 Whitman to the clinching points in its 7-2 non-conference men's tennis win over visiting University of California, Santa Cruz on Sunday afternoon.

With eight seniors hosting the final regular season match of their careers, the Blues (14-7) sent the group out in style.

Seniors Zach Hewlin and Robert Carter notched the first point of the day, taking an 8-3 decision at No. 1 doubles, shortly before senior Chase Friedman and sophomore Ben Kirsh added another point with their 8-4 win at 3-doubles.

Senior Trevor Fennessy and sophomore Alex Hwang made it a clean sweep for the Blues at No. 2 with their 8-5 win, sending Whitman into singles action with a gaudy 3-0 advantage.

Santa Cruz battled back once the singles opponents took to the courts, however.

The Banana Slugs picked up a win at No. 1 then pulled within a point with another straight-set win, this time at No. 3.

Carter, at No. 4, and Kirsh, at No. 2, each won their opening sets to put Santa Cruz on the brink of defeat, but in both matches the Slugs' players bounced back with equalizing wins in their respective second sets.

On another court, Daniel Foster was pushing hard in the 5-singles match, taking the first set by a 6-2 count.

Carter led A.J. Flora from the beginning of their deciding third set, and late in the set pulled off a service break of Flora to lead 5-3 -- and now serve for the win.

Kirsh, too, broke in front early in his third set against Magnus Ibh.

At No. 5, Foster maintained the momentum from his commanding first-set win against Ryan Dugan and began reeling off service breaks and service holds.

Back at 4-singles, Carter was answering gut-check time by pounding out a win in just five serves, pushing Whitman to a 4-2 lead in the match.

Itching for the match-clinching point, Kirsh and Foster on separate courts were both serving for wins in their respective matches.

Kirsh, who had a minute or two head start, won the friendly race with a third-set 6-4 win -- finishing a pair of Foster serves ahead -- that earned the Blues their match-clinching point.

Foster then quickly closed his match, with a 6-0 second-set win, to add the sixth Whitman point.

Hwang then fell under the microscope as the only Whitman player still on the courts.

He had played to a 6-4 opening-set win over Floyd Penners, and now looked to finish a five-point run by Whitman.

Hwang made quick work of Penners in the second, ending the afternoon with a 6-1 triumph.

Sunday's match against the plucky Banana Slugs was the final regular season match of Whitman's senior octet.

Bayard Blair, Carter, Fennessy, Friedman, Hewlin, Ho, Adam Rapoport and Luke Targett have been part of a program that over the past seasons has captured its eighth, ninth and 10th consecutive NWC tournament titles -- and gunning for No. 11 beginning Saturday against either Pacific (Ore.) University or George Fox University.

As part of a brief pre-match ceremony Sunday honoring the seniors, head coach Jeff Northam presented three -- Carter, Hewlin and Ho -- with banners commemorating their achievements of each joining the program's Century Club by accumulating their 100th career victories at Whitman.