BANNER ELK, N.C. (April 12) – In its second match of the week, the University of Mount Olive women's tennis program suffered a loss to Lees McRae by a 4-1 margin on Wednesday afternoon.

With the loss, the Trojans fall to 10-11 this season with a 6-2 mark in conference action. Mount Olive has two road league matches remaining on the schedule ahead of the Conference Carolinas Tournament. Meanwhile, the Bobcats secure their seventh-straight win to improve to 9-7 overall behind an 8-1 record in league play.

UMO lost the doubles point for the second time this season dropping the first and third positions. In third doubles, junior Jessica Aylward and freshman Laura Servien suffered a 6-2 to Lina Saquot and Begum Gumussoy, before the team of senior Ingrid Montserrat and freshman Oriana Izarra replied with a 6-4 win against Rhidaim Yang and Pati Vedia Sanchez in the second slot. At No. 1 doubles, senior Liza Voloshyna and junior Nele Weber fell short to Anita Ivanova and Mei Hiramatsu with a score of 7-6 (8-6). 

In singles play, Lees-McRae had the upper hand capturing three victories. In the second position, Voloshyna was defeated by Ivanova with a 6-2, 6-1 margin, before Weber suffered a 7-6 (8-6), 6-2 loss against Vedia Sanchez in the fourth singles. Although Izarra captured a 6-4, 6-3 win versus Yang in the third position, the match was decided when Aylward lost to Saquot by a 6-3, 6-1 count in the sixth slot. The play was stopped at the clinch while Montserrat was leading 6-4, 4-6, 5-2 in No. 1 singles and Servien was ahead 6-0, 5-2.

Mount Olive will finish regular season play with two matches on the road on the weekend. First up is a match against North Greenville on Friday, April 14, at 2:00 p.m. in Tigerville, South Carolina.