TOWSON, Md. – The Towson women's tennis team earned a strong win Friday afternoon, defeating cross-town rival UMBC by a score of 4-3 at the Towson Center Tennis Courts. It was the Tigers' second consecutive victory by a 4-3 margin, and the team improved to 7-3 this season for Towson head coach Doug Neagle.

“I'm really proud of what we accomplished today,” Neagle said. “This is a great win in Tiger tennis history and we really battled today.”

Neagle juggled his doubles lineup slightly, playing top sophomore Ayana Dow with freshman Lorena Ferrer at the top doubles position, and the move paid off with an impressive 8-3 win over the UMBC duo of Josefin Stange-Jonsson and Julia Sauer. The Tigers won the doubles point of the match as a result of an 8-4 win by Nani Lizana and Ariel Burke over the Retrievers' Heidi Danielsson and Shannon Cleary. 

 In singles action, Shah picked up her seventh win of the season at the No. 2 spot over Sauer in straight sets 6-4, 6-4.

Also taking home Towson wins were Ariel Burke and Samlin, who both won in straight sets.

Burke, entrenched at the No. 5 spot, upended Cleary 6-2 and 6-2, while Samlin defeated Madlena Kuracz 6-0, 6-4. Samlin has a team-high 10 singles wins for the Tigers.

Towson will next compete at Florida Atlantic next Wednesday at 1 p.m.

Towson University 4, UMBC 3

  Singles competition

1. Isabel Aldunate (UMBC) def. Ayana Dow (TOWSON) 6-4, 6-1

2. Nisha Shah (TOWSON) def. Julia Sauer (UMBC) 6-4, 6-4

3. Heidi Danielsson (UMBC) def. Nani Lizana (TOWSON) 6-0, 6-1

4. Josefin Stange Jonss (UMBC) def. Lorena Ferrer (TOWSON) 6-4, 6-4

5. Ariel Burke (TOWSON) def. Shannon Cleary (UMBC) 6-2, 6-2

6. Andrea Samlin (TOWSON) def. Madlena Kuracz (UMBC) 6-0, 6-4

 Doubles competition

1. Ayana Dow/Lorena Ferrer (TOWSON) def. Josefin Stange Jonss/Julia Sauer (UMBC) 8-3

2. Nani Lizana/Ariel Burke (TOWSON) def. Heidi Danielsson/Shannon Cleary (UMBC) 8-4

3. Isabel Aldunate/Madlena Kuracz (UMBC) def. Moriah Burke/Cailey Easdale (TOWSON) 8-6

Match Notes:

Towson University 7-3