CLINTON, Miss. – The No. 38 Lee University women's tennis team lost 6-1 to No. 16 Mississippi College Saturday afternoon at the MC Tennis Complex. The Lady Flames fell to 7-3 overall and 2-2 in the Gulf South Conference (GSC), while the Lady Choctaws improved to 12-1, 4-0 GSC.

"Mississippi College are very solid throughout their lineup," said Lee head coach Patric Hynes. "Our girls fought hard, but I think they were slightly better in the critical moments."

MC claimed two of the three doubles matches to earn the doubles point. Micaela Maiz and Maria Duarte gave Lee an early advantage with a 6-1 win over Emma Roberts and Gabrielle Geolier at No. 2 doubles. Ely Alas and Fernanda Cota held off Ashleigh Simes and Matina Ujdur 6-4 to even the score. Maria Rodriguez and Anna Didkovska beat Elizaveta Gnilozubova and Hayden Smith 6-2 to give MC the 1-0 lead.

Roberts added to the Lady Choctaw lead with a 6-2, 6-2 win against Maiz at No. 2 singles. At the third position, Cota defeated Ujdur 6-2, 7-6 with a 7-3 second-set tiebreaker. Geolier won the first and third sets against Gnilozubova to clinch the team victory for MC. Geolier and Gnilozubova traded 6-2 scores in the first two sets before Geolier completed the win with another 6-2 margin in the third.

Simes ended the MC shutout with a three-set comeback win over Alas. Simes, ranked No. 47, lost the opening set 7-5 before posting back-to-back 6-2 scores in the final two sets.

Anna Valiaeva beat Duarte 6-1 and 6-2 at No. 5 singles. Rodriguez supplied the final team margin with a 6-0, 6-4 No. 6 singles win against Smith.

The Lady Flames finish the weekend GSC road trip on Sunday at Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Tennessee. The contest is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. EDT.