SPOKANE, Wash. - Whitworth University finished it most successful women's tennis regular season in more than a decade with a hard-fought 5-4 win at Whitman College on Sunday afternoon. The Pirates, who had previously clinched second place in the regular season Northwest Conference standings and the second seed at this week's NWC tournament, finish the regular season with an overall record of 16-4 and an NWC mark of 14-2.

Click here for Whitman match box score.

The Pirates fell into a 2-1 hole after doubles play. Linh Aven and Justin Staudinger won 8-2 at #2 doubles. But Rachel Burns and Taryn Smith lost 8-6 at #1, while Justine Hays and Angela Anegon lost 8-3 at #3.

The Pirates came back to win the match by taking four of the six singles contests. Aven won 6-3, 7-5 at #3 over Divneet Kaur, Katie Staudinger defeated Katie Oost 7-6, 6-3 at #4, Hays topped Alex Robinson 7-6, 7-5 at #5 and Smith rolled past Jacquie Frank 6-0, 6-1 at #6. Hays got the last point of the match for Whitworth. Lexy Harrington fell to Hadley DeBree 6-7, 6-3, 6-3 at #2 singles in a closely contested match.

The Pirates will receive a first round bye at this weekend's NWC tournament. Whitworth will play the winner of Friday's first round match between Lewis & Clark College (#3 seed) and Pacific Lutheran University (#6 seed) in a semifinal on Friday night at the Yakima Tennis Club.