BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The No. 33-ranked Carleton College women's tennis team lost to a NCAA Division III program for the first time this season, falling 4-3 to Grinnell College on Sunday afternoon.
Grinnell (8-1) swept the doubles matches, winning by 6-4 tallies at the top two spots before taking No. 3 doubles by a 7-6 (7-3) margin.
The Pioneers extended their lead with a 6-0, 6-1 victory at No. 1 singles before the Knights (8-2) mounted a comeback.
Kiley Pickens improved to 9-1 on the season as she got Carleton on the board with a 7-5, 6-4 triumph at No. 2 singles.
Peggy Fu tied the match at 2-2 after notching her ninth consecutive victory, this one by 6-4, 7-5 score at No. 4 singles.
Grinnell inched in front as Eliana Martin edged
Varinn Sood in a tight No. 6 singles battle by a 1-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-6) tally, but
Algara Dineva answered back with a 6-1, 7-6 (7-1) victory—her ninth straight win—at No. 5 singles.
The match outcome was ultimately determined at No. 3 singles. The Pioneers' Logan Tom took the first set 6-2, but Carleton junior
Ryann Witter responded with a 7-6 (7-1) win in the second set. Tom, however, prevailed in the super tiebreaker, 10-3.
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton will step away from competition to focus on winter term final exams but returns to the court for three matches during the Knights' Spring Break trip to Hilton Head Island, S.C. The first of those contests will be against University of Wisconsin-Whitewater on March 24.
