VALDOSTA, Ga. – Coming down to the final match, the Valdosta State women's tennis upset bid of No. 18 North Georgia fell just short as UNG's Rafaella Villanueva won at No. 5 singles over sophomore Rachelle Starreveld, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2, to break a 3-3 tie in team scoring. 
 
With the loss, VSU fell to 0-2 on the year, while UNG improved to 3-0.  The Blazers have had heartbreaking losses in each of the two matches thus far, falling 4-3 at No. 49 Georgia College last week.  Despite the loss on Friday, VSU won the doubles point over the Nighthawks as freshman Natalie Kohoutkova, who was named Gulf South Conference Women's Tennis Player and Freshman of the Week, and Starreveled won 6-4 over Vaishali Jorge/Claudelle Labonte Frey, 6-4.  UNG duo of Svetlana Teterina and Johanna Lippert won at No. 2 over Anastasiia Vorobiova and Elisa Beau, 6-4.   The Blazers came up with a big win at No. 3 doubles as freshmen duo of Adriana Barrio and Magda Tuells Bonet won 7-6 (7-1) over Villanueva and Anna Markvartova for the team point.
 
Heading to singles, Lippert tied the match at 1-1 with a win at No. 3 singles over Vorobiova, 6-2, 6-1, but the Blazers regained the lead as Beau won at No. 4 singles with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Cibeles Zuddy.  UNG tied the match at 2-2 as Markvartova won at No. 2 with a 6-4, 6-4 decision against Tuells Bonet.  VSU, once again took the lead at 3-2 with a big win for Kohoutkova at No. 1 over Jorge, who was ranked No. 37 nationally in three sets, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.  Villanueva clinched the win for the Nighthawks at No. 5. 
 
VSU returns to action Sunday at 2 p.m. versus No. 4 Nova Southeastern at the VSU Tennis Courts and then the Blazers head on the road at Embry-Riddle on Friday, Feb. 18 at 2 p.m., in Daytona Beach, Fla.