No. 6 Tartans Fall 5-4 to No. 10 Washington and Lee

(LEXINGTON, Va.) - The Carnegie Mellon University women's tennis team, ranked sixth in the nation, nearly came from behind against No. 10 Washington and Lee University on Saturday, March 28. The Generals prevailed 5-4 after an epic match on the indoor courts on the Lexington, Virginia, campus.

In order to play for the comeback, the Tartans had to climb back from a 3-0 deficit after doubles play when the Generals won 8-5 at first doubles, 8-3 at second doubles and 8-5 at third doubles.

Washington and Lee then extended its lead to 4-0 with a win at second singles before the Tartans evened the score with one match to play.

As the match was played indoors, the teams played on four courts during singles.

Sophomore Nicholle Torres (Weston, Fla./Great Neck South) picked up the first win for the Tartans at thid single when she won 1-6, 6-3, 6-1. Junior Brooke Tsu (Hillsborough, Calif./Burlingame) followed with her own come-from-behind victory, taking down Patricia Kirkland at fourth singles, 1-6, 6-4, 6-4.

The third win for the Tartans came via fifth singles as senior Bryn Raschke (Del Mar, Calif./Torrey Pines) won 6-0, 7-5. During Raschke's match, sophomore Vanessa Pavia (Thornwood, N.Y./Academy of our Lady of Good Counsel) forced a third set at first singles and evened the match at 4-4 with a 5-7, 7-5, 6-3 win.

The final match point was decided in a three-set match at sixth singles between senior Lydia Utkin (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Jerome) and Allison Hupalo. Utkin held a 6-0 first set lead but Hupalo forced the third with a 6-4 second set win and used the momentum to win 6-1 in the third set to take the match point.

The Tartans will next face No. 3 Williams College on Sunday, March 29 on the campus of Washington and Lee beginning around 11 a.m.