PORTLAND – The Gonzaga women's tennis team handled Portland, opening West Coast Conference play with a 6-1 victory over the Pilots at the Louisiana Pacific Tennis Center Saturday afternoon in Portland, Ore.
 
Gonzaga (9-3, 1-0 WCC) secured the early point in doubles play, winning two of three doubles matches to secure the point. Kate Ketels and Haruna Tsuruta opened the match with a 6-3 win over UP's Rimona Rouf and Neli Sunjic at No. 2 doubles, but Portland responded with a 6-3 victory at No. 1 doubles. Cate Broerman and Taylor Gruber secured the doubles point with a 6-4 victory over the Pilots' Lela Daszuta and Angela Schuster at No. 3.
 
In singles play, Tsuruat started things off for GU with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Portland's Emily Soares to extend GU's match lead, 2-0. Yet Portland's Iva Zelic secured the Pilots' lone victory of the match with a 6-1, 0-6, 6-4 victory over Ketels at No. 1. Gonzaga swept the final four matches, winning at No. 3, 4, 5, and 6 to secure the 6-1 match victory.
 
Gonzaga returns to play next Saturday, April 3, with a match at BYU in Provo, Utah at 11 a.m. PT. Check GoZags.com for up-to-date match information.