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COLUMBUS - The third-ranked Columbus State University women's tennis team fell for the first time this season, losing to seventh-ranked Saint Leo 4-3. The matches took place at the Walden Tennis Complex. 

The Lady Cougars dominated their way through doubles, winning all three of the matches to earn the point. Second-ranked Beatriz Lopez and Marleen Tilgner led the way at the top spot taking down ninth-ranked Kristyna Jurkova and Nina Furmaniack 6-1. Candice Paya and Natalia Kattah Paz finished their match with the same margin of victory. In second doubles, it was tenth-ranked Noa Davico and Luise Sachs who took care of business 6-3 as the Lady Cougars easily took the point. 

Despite CSU's strong performance in doubles, it was Saint Leo who responded in singles to make it close down the stretch. Twenty-second ranked Lopez lost her singles match 2-6, 6-4, 2-6 to Marta Vicens Miquel at the top spot. Both 10th-ranked Sachs and 25th-ranked Tilgner walked away victorious in straight sets for the Lady Cougars, with Sachs winning 6-2, 7-5 at fourth singles while Tilgner coming out on top 7-6, 6-2 at the second spot. 

But in the third and fifth spots, the Lady Cougars ran into trouble. Both Paya and Davico lost in straight sets which ultimately set up Paz to be the deciding outcome in the match. The senior took the first set 7-6 but fell 1-6 in the next one. The third set eventually went to a tiebreaker as Paz and her opponent battled back and forth. In the end, Paz dropped the tiebreaker 11-9 giving Saint Leo the 4-3 overall win. 

The Lady Cougars will be right back in action at home on Sunday, Feb. 10 hosting Valdosta State at the John W. Walden Tennis Center. The matches will begin at 2 p.m.