SPOKANE, Wash. - Whitworth University heads into the Northwest Conference women's tournament riding the most successful regular season record in more than a decade. The Pirates hope that momentum can help them challenge for their first NWC crown since 1997 this weekend at the Yakima Tennis Club. The tournament is being hosted by Pacific Lutheran University.

Staudinger is 16-0 in NWC matches

Click here for PLU's tournament results site.

The Pirates (16-4 overall, 14-2 in NWC matches) are the #2 seed in the tournament, and have also recently moved up to 10th in the most recent ITA regional rankings. With the #2 seed, Whitworth receives a first round bye and will play the winner of Friday's first round match between #3 seed Lewis & Clark and #6 seed PLU. That semifinal will take place on Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m.

Whitworth defeated Lewis & Clark twice this season, winning 7-2 in Portland and 6-3 in Spokane. The Pirates also swept PLU, winning 5-4 in Spokane and 7-2 in Tacoma.

Burns has been playing #1 singles

Should Whitworth win the semifinal, the Pirates would likely play top-seeded Linfield in the championship match on Saturday afternoon. Whitworth has dropped a pair of hard-fought decisions to the Wildcats by scores of 6-3 in McMinnville and 5-4 in Spokane. Linfield has won six straight NWC titles.

Whitworth's success this season has come from a mix of three first-year players and a couple of veterans. Freshmen Rachel Burns and Lexy Harrington have been playing at #1 and #2 respectively, while fellow frosh Katie Staudinger has a 16-0 record vs. NWC opponents, mostly at #4. Junior Linh Aven 12-4 while playing primarily at #3 and senior Justine Hays is 13-2, mostly at #5.

The winner of this weekend's tournament will receive the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament, which will take place in May.