NORFOLK, Va. – The Tigers competed in the opening round of the 2012 Colonial Athletic Association Championships Thursday, but fell to the Drexel Dragons 4-3 in a tightly contested match at the Folkes-Stevens Tennis Center on the campus of Old Dominion University.

The ninth-seeded Tigers had already faced eighth-seeded Dragons earlier this season in Philadelphia. Drexel defeated Towson by a score of 7-0 on Mar. 10.

Thursday, the Tigers were much improved. Towson battled Drexel to a 3-3 tie in singles play as the Tigers got wins from sophomore Nisha Shah, freshman Ayana Dow and junior Andrea Samlin.

The match came down to the final doubles pairings after the Tigers and Dragons split the first two matches. At No.3 doubles, Towson senior Aandria Carr paired with Shah and faced Drexel’s Nicole Pivonka and Emma Brook. Brook and Pivonka came out victorious by an 8-4 score to clinch the Dragon victory.

“Credit Drexel, they came out and played well,” Towson Head Coach Doug Neagle said. “It was gut-wrenching, but I have a lot of high hopes for next year. We have a young team and will only get better from this.”

 Singles competition

1. Sonja Stosic (DREXEL) def. Aandria Carr (TOWSON) 6-1, 6-2

2. Zeynep Mafa (DREXEL) def. Nani Lizana (TOWSON) 6-0, 6-2

3. Nisha Shah (TOWSON) def. Marcela Rosales (DREXEL) 6-3, 1-6, 6-2

4. Ayana Dow (TOWSON) def. Emma Brook (DREXEL) 6-4, 6-4

5. Andrea Samlin (TOWSON) def. Alex Bell (DREXEL) 6-2, 6-2

6. Nicole Pivonka (DREXEL) def. Ariel Burke (TOWSON) 6-2, 6-3

 Doubles competition

1. Zeynep Mafa/Sonja Stosic (DREXEL) def. Ayana Dow/Ariel Burke (TOWSON) 8-1

2. Nani Lizana/Andrea Samlin (TOWSON) def. Elise Leizerovich/Marcela Rosales (DREXEL) 8-4

3. Nicole Pivonka/Emma Brook (DREXEL) def. Aandria Carr/Nisha Shah (TOWSON) 8-4