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ELON, N.C. – The Elon University women's tennis team suffered its first loss in Southern Conference play today, March 21, in a 4-3 defeat against the Furman Paladins at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center.
 
"Credit to Furman, they played a very good match today," said Elon head coach Elizabeth Anderson. "We learned a lot from today's match and we're ready to welcome Wofford tomorrow morning."
 
Furman clinched the victory with a 6-1, 7-6 (7-1) victory from Kelly Sullivan on court No. 5 where the junior topped Taylor Casey. Casey's performance was indicative of the afternoon in which Elon as a whole had to battle from behind on most every court.
 
Both Jordan Johnston and Maria Camara Ruiz, who picked up two of Elon's singles wins, had to come from behind after dropping first sets on court Nos. 1 and 6, respectively. Johnston dropped her first set in a tiebreaker to Ansley Speaks before sweeping the second set and forcing a third set in which she won 6-2. Camara Ruiz had a tough go of things in the first set against Blair Martin, but the junior rebounded for a second set victory in a tiebreaker, then ultimately took Elon's third and final point in winning the super tiebreaker, 10-4.
 
Both Barbora Lazarova and Bryn Khoury struggled to gain any consistency in their matches on court Nos. 3 and 4, respectively. Lazarova dropped a 6-3, 6-4 match to Katherine Oudin, the twin sister of professional tennis player Melanie Oudin, and Khoury fell 6-2, 6-3 to Karlee Bryde.
 
The only Elon player not to struggle against the Paldins was Frida Jansaker, who finished off her 6-1, 6-2 victory on court No. 2 in just over an hour against Alex Moreno-Kaste to help Elon tie the match at one after the Phoenix dropped the tightly-contested doubles point.
 
In the doubles matches, Casey and Khoury quickly won 8-2 on court No. 3 to get Elon halfway to earning the point. Then, Johnston and Lazarova dropped a tough match on court No. 1 to even things up, putting the pressure on Jansaker and Camara Ruiz on court No. 2.
 
Though battling with Martin and Speaks, the duo couldn't overcome a late break and ultimately fell to the Furman pair to lose the doubles point.
 
Elon returns to action tomorrow morning, March 22, at 10 a.m. against the Wofford Terriers. The Phoenix will be looking for their ninth straight win against the Terriers tomorrow at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center.