SAN ANTONIO – The 10th-ranked Trinity University Women's Tennis Team fell just short in a hard-fought battle against the 14th-ranked Tufts University Jumbos, suffering a narrow 4-3 defeat at the Butch Newman Tennis Center.
The Tigers opened the match with a tough doubles battle but were unable to secure the crucial doubles point. Looking to continue their form after a great result in yesterday's action, first to finish was the powerful #2 pairing of Ellie Hughes (Austin, Texas / Vandegrift) and Olivia Kim (Phoenix, Arizona / Desert Mountain), who fell 6-2 to a strong Tufts duo. Trinity responded quickly at #1, as the reliable partnership of Rosabella Andrade (Southlake, Texas / Ponderosa) and Trinity Levy (Camarillo, California / Weil Tennis Academy) dominated their opponents with a 6-2 victory, keeping the doubles point up for grabs. It all came down to court #3, where the usually consistent Ruth Hill (Abilene, Texas / Abilene) and Lauren Tin (Austin, Texas / Vandegrift) fought hard but ultimately came up short in a 6-3 result, giving Tufts the early 1-0 advantage.
Looking to turn the tide in singles play, the Tigers started strong. First to finish was Hill at #1, who delivered a performance and result worthy of one of the best singles players in the country, as she won 6-2, 6-1 in commanding fashion to level that match at 1-1. However, Tufts quickly responded, as Hughes at #3 fell in a tightly contested first-set tiebreak 7-6 (7-5) before dropping the second set 6-1, putting the visitors back in front. The trustworthy Levy stepped up next at #5, and proved how she has won 16 of 17 singles matches so far this season, as she battled through a three-set marathon to secure a 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 win, once again bringing the match level at 2-2.
Tufts edged ahead again when Kim at #2, despite winning the first set 6-3, was unable to hold off her opponent's comeback, losing the final two sets 6-3, 6-2. This put the Jumbos 3-2 up and on the brink of victory. The clinching point came at #4, where Lucy Nabedrick (Plymouth, Minnesota / Wayzata) fought with all she had, winning the first set in a tiebreak 7-6 (7-4) before dropping the next two sets 6-3, 6-1, sealing the victory for the Jumbos. With the match already decided, it was too little too late for Andrade at #6, who capped off the day with a resilient 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 win, ensuring the Tigers finished strong despite the 4-3 final scoreline.
Up Next
The Trinity University Women's Tennis Team will look to bounce back from this narrow defeat when they return to SCAC action away at the Southwestern University Pirates on Sunday, April 6th at 2:00 p.m.
