CLAREMONT, Calif. – The No. 10 ranked University of Redlands Women's Tennis team provided a tough test for top-ranked and undefeated Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Wednesday night falling 7-2, despite it being a four hour match and two singles matches going the distance.

Redlands has now dropped two of their last three but both losses came against the top two nationally ranked teams in Division III.  The Bulldogs now move to 9-6, 4-2 SCIAC.

It was a strong start for the Maroon and Grey jumping on top of the Athenas early with Gabby Rockwood (Park City, UT) and Rayna Sugai (Las Vegas, NV) cruising to the 8-4 win at No. 3.  CMS was able to level the match at No. 1 as Maegan Deng (Redondo Beach, CA) and Livi Rockwood (Park City, UT) would get edged 8-6 by the top ranked team in Division III putting the decisive advantage on the No. 2 pairings.

The point would go to the Athenas, but they would need a breaker to go in front 2-1 as Christine O'Brien (Leawood, KS) and Kiana Brady (Hermosa Beach, CA) would provide pushback falling 8-7 (2).   
     
In singles the U of R did not go away quietly and despite dropping five of six matches you could tell it was a battle.  The lead extended to 3-1 for CMS as G. Rockwood would fall 6-3, 6-1 at No. 5.  L. Rockwood would follow at No. 3 dropping in straight sets 6-4, 6-3.  The clinch came at the top spot as Deng would drop in two but put pressure on the No. 3 ranked singles player in the West Region Audrey Yoon falling 7-6 (5), 6-4.  O'Brien played at No. 6 and she too had the same score as Deng falling 7-6 (5), 6-4. 

The last two matches on went the distance.  The Bulldogs got back on the scoreboard thanks to Sugai at No. 2 who took down Alisha Chulani, the No. 7 ranked singles player in Division III 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.  Brady was the last match on at No. 4 and she was tasked with a match-up against Ella Brissett.  She found herself up a set winning the opening frame 6-4, but would get broken late in the second as Brissett would level things taking the second 6-4 forcing the match to a decisive third.  Both players were deadlocked at 6-6 before Brady would go down with an injury forcing her to withdraw allowing Brissett to come away with the win.           

Redlands wraps up their 2024 regular season schedule next week, Tuesday, April 23 when they travel to California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, CA beginning at 2:00pm.