PENSACOLA, Fla. – The upset-minded Valdosta State women's tennis team came up just short in a 4-3 loss to No. 7 West Alabama on Friday afternoon in Pensacola, Fla.  The Blazers fell to 3-7 overall and 2-1 in GSC play, while UWA improved to 9-7 overall and 5-0 in league play.
 
VSU won the doubles point, with two wins over ranked opponents in doubles as freshman duo of Viktoriia Fedorova and Denisa Hanakova won 6-4 over No. 9-ranked Shaira Rivera and Hardija Vidnere, while freshmen tandem of Natalie Rainke and Aneta Poborilova won 7-6 (7-4) over No. 37 duo of Heden Ly and Khim Iglupas.  At No. 3 doubles, UWA's duo of Lolita Hukasian and Emiri Takanishi downed juniors Olivia Pezo and Kayla Greco, 6-4.
 
In singles, Rivera defeated Hanakova 6-2, 6-1 at No. 2 for a 1-1 score, but Poborilova won 6-2, 6-3 at No. 3 over Heden Ly for a 2-1 Blazer lead.  No. 6-ranked Iglupas won 6-4, 6-3 over Rainke at the top spot, but Pezo won 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 over Vidnere for a 3-2 lead.  Hukasian won 6-2, 7-6 (7-3) over sophomore Evelyn Altmaier at No. 6 for a 3-3 score.
 
Coming down to the final match at No. 4, Greco and Takanishi split the first two sets.  Greco then battled back from a 2-3 deficit in the third set for a 5-3 lead and had a match point, but Takanishi roared back forcing a tiebreaker where Takanishi won 7-4 to claim the team victory. 
 
The Blazers continue in Pensacola on Saturday as they will play at No. 14 West Florida at 11 a.m. ET.