SPOKANE, Wash. - Showing dramatic improvement from the beginning of the season, the Whitworth women's tennis team knocked off Willamette 5-4 to earn a key Northwest Conference weekend split as the Pirates prepare to head east for spring break.

On Friday Whitworth fell 8-0 to conference-leading and still unbeaten (in NWC matches) Linfield. Rachael McCoola and Betsy Johnson played the closest doubles match against the Wildcats, losing 8-6 in the #2 slot. Whitworth lost the first five singles matches in straight sets, but Justine Hays was leading 7-6 (5), 3-2 at #6 singles before the match was called off by the coaches.

On Saturday Whitworth earned the key victory over the Bearcats, a team that had defeated the Pirates 8-1 in the teams' first meeting of the season. Whitworth took a 2-0 lead after doubles when Hays and Taryn Smith rolled to an 8-0 win at #3 and McCoola and Johnson won 8-4 at #2. Johnson (#4), Smith (#5) and Hays (#6) all won their singles matches convincingly in straight sets. The final winning margin might've been bigger, but Whitworth's top three singles players all lost matches that went past two sets.

The Pirates (5-6 overall, 5-6 NWC) now head to Hilton Head, South Carolina for spring break, where the Bucs will take on three top DIII programs. Middlebury is ranked 9th in the latest USTA rankings, while Wisconsin-Whitewater had previously been ranked in the top 20 this season. The Pirates will also play Oberlin.