ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Kenyon College women's tennis team started its spring break slate with a tough test against Carnegie Mellon University on Wednesday morning. The clash between the No. 12-ranked Tartans and No. 20-ranked Owls was marred by rain at the start as the weather prevented the teams from playing doubles, but the dual at the USTA National Campus still got underway with singles. Kenyon's top players had success, but the team ultimately fell 4-2.

With the chance for a doubles point washed away due to rain, Wednesday's dual came down to six singles bouts. Though each match was won in straight sets, the teams combined for some close contests up and down the lineup. The top of Kenyon's lineup picked up wins against the tough Tartans, but the Owls could not complete a comeback after Carnegie Mellon won the first three duals to take a commanding 3-0 lead.

The Tartans started the day with a 6-0, 6-0 sweep in the No. 6 flight, and they followed up with wins at No. 2 and No. 5. Ana Brand slotted in at No. 2 in her first action of the spring, but the sophomore fell 6-1, 6-1 against the No. 24-ranked Division III singles player, Shelly Zinchenko. At No. 5, first-year Hana Nouaime battled but fell 6-2, 6-3.

Needing a win to stay alive, Kenyon got a boost from the team's top player, Eleni Lazaridou. Lazaridou continued her strong start to the spring, winning 6-1, 6-4 in the top flight. The victory marked the junior's third straight singles win, improving to 3-1 at No. 1 this season. 

The Owls kept it rolling with a huge win at No. 3, where Shadia Amado Aguad knocked off the No. 10-ranked DIII singles player, Ancele Dolensek. Amado Aguad won her second straight singles decision, and the junior kept Kenyon alive with a gritty 6-4, 7-5 win that gave the Owls a second team point.

Clare Hudson had a strong showing in a hard-fought No. 4 match, but the first-year fell 7-5, 6-2 as Kenyon could not tie the score and the Tartans came away with the 4-2 victory, avenging a 5-1 loss to Kenyon at the end of last season.

The Owls fell to 1-3 on the season, but there have been building blocks to come out of each of Kenyon's three losses to top-12 teams. The Owls will stay in Orlando for their next few matches as the team looks to get back to its winning ways.