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| Kiara Rose's win in fifth singles clinched the Tufts victory |
REDLANDS, Calif. – Sophomore Kiara Rose won fifth singles in three sets to lift the eighth-ranked Tufts University women's tennis team to an exciting 5-4 victory at the University of Redlands on Monday.
The host Bulldogs (4-5) won two out of three in doubles before Tufts (2-0) came back to draw even at 4-4 in singles. Facing Redlands sophomore Lexi Lehman, Rose won the first set 6-4 before dropping a tie-breaker 7-6 (6) to force a third set. The Jumbo rolled to a 6-2 win to clinch the match.
Tufts was playing in its California spring break trip opener. Down 2-1 heading into singles, Jumbo freshman Anna Lowy evened the match with a 6-1, 6-0 win on the sixth court. However, at #2 Bulldogs freshman Mia Fitzgerald was a 6-4, 6-0 winner and the hosts were back up 3-2.
Continuing the back-and-forth play, Jumbo senior Tomo Iwasaki won at #1 singles against Liz Johnson 7-6 (3), 6-1 to tie the score at 3-3. The Jumbos then took their first lead at 4-3 when sophomore Patricia Obeid won #3 also with a tie-breaker 6-2 and 7-6 (2).
Like the decisive fifth match, #4 between Tufts' Kat Wiley and Redlands' Karen Kobayashi also went three sets. The host won 0-6, 6-1, 6-4 to tie the team score at 4-4 before Rose won it for the Jumbos.
Redlands had an early 2-0 lead as Johnson with Halle Martinucci won at #1 doubles 8-5 and Lacy with Kobayashi were 8-6 winners at #2. Lowy and Wiley grabbed a key point for the Jumbos in the third match 8-6.
Tufts plays again on Tuesday at defending national champion Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. Redlands, ranked 31st nationally, hosts Bowdoin tomorrow.
