The Seattle University women's tennis team hung tough, but they couldn't come back from an early deficit and dropped a thrilling match to the University of Portland 4-3 Saturday at the Louisiana-Pacific Tennis Center.
The match was decided at number three singles, where Seattle U's Lindsey Newman (Freeland, Wash.) battled Portland's Valeska Hoath for over three and a half hours before Hoath could come out on top. Newman took the first set with a score of 6-4 and fought valiantly in the second before falling 7-5. Hoath claimed the third and final set 6-4 to give the Pilots their fourth point and the overall team win.
The Redhawks' first point of the day came from Gabriella Weissmann (Simi Valley, Calif.) in the fourth singles position. Weissmann took down Portland's Alice Tucker 6-2, 6-3 to claim her second singles victory of the season.
At the sixth singles position, Sarah Lucas (Las Vegas, Nev.) continued her red-hot play, extending her singles winning streak to eight matches with a two-set victory over Gabrielle Gorence. Lucas only allowed Gorence to win four games during the 6-0, 6-4 victory. Corinne Wurden (Poulsbo, Wash.) also won her singles contest, taking out Emily Mahairas 6-2, 6-1 at number five singles.
At number two singles, Katrina Schwab (Spokane, Wash.) came close to a fourth and deciding Redhawks point. She took the first set of her match with Portland's Sabine Fuchs after winning the set tiebreaker 7-4. Fuchs came back strong in the last two matches, however, and took the point 6-7(7-4), 6-2, 6-3.
Portland took the doubles point by winning two of the three doubles matches prior to singles play. The only SU duo to see victory was the team of Weissmann and Lucas, who defeated Portland's Mahairas and Gorence 8-2. At number two doubles, the deciding doubles match, Schwab and Wurden lost a close one to Portland's duo of Hoath and Tucker 8-6.
The Redhawks (6-5) finish the weekend tomorrow as they face Montana at 9:00 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 12 at the Louisiana-Pacific Tennis Center.
University of Portland 4, Seattle University 3
Doubles
1. Polyakova/Fuchs(POR) defeat Newman/Lambert (SU) 8-3
2. Hoath/Tucker (POR) defeat Wurden/Schwab (SU) 8-6
3. Lucas/Weissmann (SU) defeat Mahairas/Gorence (POR) 8-2
Order of finish: 1, 3, 2
Singles
1. Anastasia Polyakova (POR) defeated Alexandra Farrar (SU) 6-2, 6-0
2. Sabine Fuchs (POR) defeated Katrina Schwab (SU) 6-7(7-4), 6-2, 6-3
3. Valeska Hoath (POR) defeated Lindsey Newman (SU) 4-6, 7-5, 6-4
4. Gabriella Weissmann (SU) defeated Alice Tucker (POR) 6-2, 6-3
5. Corinne Wurden (SU) defeated Emily Mahairas (POR) 6-2, 6-1
6. Sarah Lucas (SU) defeated Gabrielle Gorence (POR) 6-0, 6-4
Order of finish: 1, 4, 2, 3, 5, 6