The No. 10 University of Redlands women's tennis team's undefeated run came to an end on Saturday when the Bulldogs dropped a closer-than-apparent 2-7 decision to No. 2 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges during Senior Day. After honoring lone senior, Claudia Llanes (Miami Beach, FL), the Bulldogs battled throughout the match but lost a slight edge in doubles on a tiebreak before suffering a pair of three-set defeats in singles.
After CMS earned the first point of the contest with a solid showing at the No. 2 doubles slot, Redlands' top tandem of junior Jessica Ly (Torrance, CA) and sophomore Ceara Sumida (Hilo, HI) sincerely impressed with a resounding 8-2 victory.
With the overall score tied at one all, the early lead came down to a competitive match at the third doubles position. The Bulldogs grabbed a 6-3 advantage, but the Athenas came storming back to go up, 7-6. However, Redlands' sophomore Maddie Morton (Henderson, NV) and freshman Gabriela Vasquez (Villa Park, CA) refused to go away and eventually forced a tiebreak. The teams traded punches, with the Maroon and Gray taking a slight lead, but once again CMS responded and finally earned the important 9-8(7) victory.
In singles, the momentum stayed with the Athenas, who earned the first win off the court at No. 3.
Down 1-3, Redlands needed four of the five remaining matches to pull out the upset. However, CMS prevailed in three sets at No. 4 and then came out on top at No. 6 to clinch the deciding point.
Redlands' Ly also pushed her fourth-ranked opponent to go the distance at No. 1.
Sophomore Julia Pollak (Holland, PA) continued her impressive win streak with a comeback triumph at No. 5 by scores of 3-6, 6-1, 7-5. She is currently 15-1 on the season, having won her last seven matches.
Redlands (15-1, 4-1 SCIAC) takes to the road on Saturday, April 13, for a SCIAC doubleheader. The Bulldogs first face Caltech in Pasadena at 9:30 a.m. and then travel to Occidental College for a 2 p. m. showdown.
