LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga.— Facing off against the No. 6-ranked William Carey University Crusaders on Saturday in Lawrenceville, Ga., the Montreat women's tennis team put up a strong fight but ultimately suffered a narrow 4-3 defeat. The loss moved the Cavaliers' season record to 3-4 overall.
 
Montreat took the doubles point from the Crusaders thanks to wins in the No. 1 and No. 3 pairings. Stephanie Petit and Carolina Reis combined to win the top matchup, 6-2, while Sofia Hernandez Mera and Nicole Bueno closed out the doubles point with a 6-3 win.
 
William Carey (3-2) initially bounced back from dropping the doubles point to take a quick 6-0, 6-1 win on the No. 2 singles court, but the Cavaliers pushed the Crusaders to the brink of defeat with victories at No. 1 and No. 3. Petit bagged a straight-sets win (6-3, 6-3) over her opponent, and Vaishnavi Venkatesh seized a thrilling comeback triumph in three sets (1-6, 7-6, 7-5) to move Montreat within a point of victory.
 
Despite facing a 3-1 deficit against the No. 7-ranked Cavaliers, the Crusaders stayed the course, and it paid off. Consecutive two-set wins at No. 5 (6-2, 6-1) and No. 6 (6-2, 7-5) tied the contest at three, and a three-set win at No. 4 (6-3, 4-6, 6-4) eked out a 4-3 William Carey victory.
 
The Montreat women's tennis team now turns its attention to Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) action as it visits Waleska, Ga. on Wednesday. Matches between the Cavaliers and the Reinhardt University Eagles are scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m.