LA VERNE 5, GEORGE FOX 2: Leopards Hand Bruins 1st Loss in Time-Shortened Match

BEAVERTON, Ore. - In a battle of early-season unbeatens, the visiting University of La Verne Leopards swept the doubles matches and went on to hand the George Fox University Bruins their first defeat of the 2012 women’s tennis campaign with a 5-2 non-conference win Saturday morning here at the Tualatin Hills Tennis Center.

The match had been originally scheduled for 11:00 a.m. at the GFU campus courts, but due to expected cold and wet weather, it was moved on Friday to the THTC, with an 8:00 a.m. start that was the only time available.  As it was, the final two singles matches went unfinished due to time constraints.

The Leopards opened with closely-contested doubles victories by Laina Matsuda and Allison Moncrief over the Bruins’ Molly Beaumont and Alyssa Emoto 9-8 (7-2) at No. 1, Tarika Krishnamurthy and Carly Tucker over Shaina Inn and Cara Griffith 8-5 at No. 2, and Brooke Hines and Justine Ledesma over Chantelle Hadeed and Marissa Chau 9-7 at No. 3.  

La Verne clinched the match with wins at No. 1 singles, where Matsuda subdued Beaumont 6-3, 6-1, and at No. 4, where Tucker took out Griffith 6-2, 6-3.  The Bruins picked up their wins at No. 2 as Emoto knocked off Krishnamurthy 6-2, 6-2, and at No. 3, Inn splitting with Moncreif before prevailing 6-4, 1-6, 6-3.  No. 5 - Hadeed vs. Hines - and No. 6 - Alissandra Wittrig for the Bruins, Arielle Montielh for the Leopards - were cut off by the Tennis Center’s time limit.

NEXT: George Fox (1-1) plays its first Northwest Conference match Friday at 3:00 p.m., hosting the defending NWC Tournament champion Linfield College Wildcats ... La Verne (3-0) plays two matches Sunday in Salem, Ore., first at 9:00 a.m. at Willamette University and then at 4:00 p.m. vs. Whitman College in a neutral-site game.