YAKIMA, Wash. - Whitworth's women's tennis team concluded the 2007 season on a positive note, defeating Willamette 5-4 in the 5th-6th place match at the 2007 Northwest Conference Tournament at the Yakima Tennis Club. The Pirates finish the year with a 10-12 overall record.

Click here for the NWC Tournament web site. The site includes tournament schedules/results, brackets and directions.

Whitworth opened the tournament with a 7-2 first round loss to 4th-seeded Pacific Lutheran. The Pirates won two of the three doubles matches to gain an early lead, but could not win any of the singles matches to keep the momentum. Rachael McCoola and Betsy Johnson won 8-3 at #2 doubles, while Taryn Smith and Justine Hays won 8-2 at #3 doubles. Hays pushed her opponent to three sets before losing 5-7, 7-6 (4), 10-3 at #6 singles. Katie Troxell lost 8-6 in a pro-set at #3 singles, but the match had been decided at that point.

Johnson (a senior) won three matches

Like the first match, Whitworth opened the match against Willamette by winning two of the three doubles points. The same two teams won at the same flights. Johnson-McCoola won 8-3, while Hays-Smith won 8-5.

This time, the Pirates were able to win three singles matches to gain the team victory. Johnson (6-0, 6-2 at #4), Smith (6-2, 6-2 at #5) and Hays (6-2, 6-1 at #6) all won easily. The Bucs might've scored more points, but Troxell lost in three sets at #3 (2-6, 6-1, 6-0) and Linh Aven lost a very close two set match at #2 singles (6-4, 7-5).

Betsy Johnson, Rachael McCoola and Katie Troxell all played their final matches for the Pirates and will graduate this spring.