PENSACOLA, Fla. – In its third and final match in Pensacola, Fla., the Valdosta State women's tennis team dropped a 4-3 decision to Mississippi College Monday morning.  The Blazers fell to 5-8 overall and 5-4 in Gulf South Conference play, while MC improved to 5-5 overall and 4-3 in league play.
 
MC opened taking the doubles point by winning all three doubles matches.  VSU freshman Rachelle Starreveld and junior Hera Bjork Brynjarsdottir fell 7-6 (7-4) in a tiebreaker at No. 2 doubles to Paulina Cota and Maria Rodriguez.  Top Blazer tandem of senior Estee Widdershoven and sophomore Eva Rivoal lost 6-4 to Ely Alas and Fernanda Cota, while MC's Kennedy Rodriguez and Julia McCarty downed freshman Julia Saving and junior Amelia Cornwell, 6-3. 
 
The Choctaws built a 3-0 lead with wins by Alas at No. 2 over Rival (6-1, 6-1) and at No. 4 as M. Rodriguez downed Saving, 6-2, 6-4.  VSU got on the board with a win by Cornwell at No. 6 over McCarty, 6-4, 6-3, for Cornwell's second singles victory of the weekend.  Starreveld won 7-5, 6-2 at No. 3 pulling VSU within 3-2 in the team scoring.
 
Brynjarsdottir battled back from a 7-5 first set loss to win 6-1 in the second, but K. Rodriguez won the third set 6-4 to clinch the match.  Widdershoven also battled back from a 7-6 (7-4) loss in the first set at No. 1 for a 6-4 win the second set and won 11-9 in a super tiebreaker over Cota in the final finishing match of the day. 
 
The Blazers return to action to close the regular season on Friday, April 16 at 4 p.m. ET versus Christian Brothers in Montgomery, Ala.  VSU then will turn its sights to the Gulf South Conference championship Apr. 22-24, also in Montgomery, Ala.