COLUMBUS - The sixth-ranked Columbus State University women's tennis team lost a chance to claim the Peach Belt Conference regular-season championship outright on Sunday, falling 4-3 to seventh-ranked University of North Georgia in the PBC regular-season finale.

The top of the PBC standings is crowded at the end of the year as CSU, UNG and Flagler all conclude conference play with 6-1 records to share the regular-season title. It's the fifth straight year that the Lady Cougars have won at least a share of the PBC title. 

However, Columbus State (16-5) will still be the top seed in the PBC Tournament due to the PBC tiebreak procedures that bases seeding off of the latest ITA national rankings. CSU earns the nod over both teams thanks to its sixth-place national ranking. The PBC Tournament begins on Friday, April 29 at the Walden Tennis Center, but with the first seed, the Lady Cougars will earn a bye into Saturday's semifinal round.

The match was tight throughout the day, including in doubles play where the first and second positions were neck-and-neck. CSU was in the driver's seat following a quick 6-3 win at third doubles after Sara Ramirez and Luciana Galves finished off Anna Markvartova and Cibeles Zuddy, however North Georgia (14-3) kept battling in the other two matches.

UNG made things interesting after Vaishali Jorge and Claudelle Labonte Frey upset 18th-ranked Valentina Abrile and Mariana Ramirez 7-5 in the top spot. The Nighthawks capped off the comeback to earn the first point of the afternoon following Johanna Lippert's and Svetlana Teterina's 7-6 tiebreak win against Neila Trklja and Agostina Bigotti at second doubles.

North Georgia clamped down on Columbus State in singles play after two quick CSU wins. At first singles, eighth-ranked Trklja bounced back from doubles to down 74th-ranked Jorge 6-4, 6-2, while Galves earned a 6-2, 7-5 decision over Frey. 

UNG continued its march to victory following a 6-3, 6-2 win by Zuddy over Bigotti at sixth singles and 44th-ranked Lippert winning a ranked showdown against 55th-ranked M. Ramirez 7-6, 6-4 at second singles. 

The clincher came at third singles where Markvartova rallied to win in three sets 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 over 47th-ranked Abrile.

Labat picked up CSU's third win of the day after outlasting Teterina 7-6, 3-6, 6-3 at fourth singles.

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Columbus State hosts the 2022 PBC Tournament at the Walden Tennis Complex, beginning on Friday, April 29.