LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. – Despite three wins in singles play in the No. 1-3 spots, the Towson University women's tennis team dropped a close 4-3 decision to Colorado State on Thursday in a neutral site match. The Tigers wrapped up their two-game trip of California with the match and are now 8-8 and 1-2 in Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play.
 
"We lost a heartbreaker today," Head Coach Doug Neagle said. "This loss is on me though. I didn't have them ready mentally or physically. We tried some new doubles matchups and saw some positives from that. Ayana is healthy again and really stepped it up in No. 2 doubles. Nicole, Lucy and Sophie were all solid today in singles play."
 
The Tigers earned three straight-set singles victories in the heartbreaker with freshman Nicole Shakhnazarova leading the effort. Shakhnazarova earned her fifteenth singles win, defeating the Rams' Natalie Heffron 6-1, 6-4 in the top singles spot.
 
Freshman Lucy Williams picked up a victory in No. 2 singles over Colorado State's Adriana Wojakowska. Williams earned a 6-2, 6-0 win.
 
Sophomore Sophie Lesage earned the final Tiger win of the day, defeating the Rams' Laia Hernandez Soler 6-2, 6-4 in the No. 3 singles spot.
 
Freshman Barbora Vasilkova had a tough loss in No. 5 singles against Colorado State's Maddie Buxton. She won the first set 7-6(9) before dropping the second set 6-4 to force the third set tiebreaker. She ultimately fell in the third set by a 6-2 margin.
 
Towson earned a doubles victory from the duo of senior Ayana Dow and Williams but it was not enough as Colorado State took the doubles point. Dow and Williams partnered for a 6-2 win in No. 2 doubles over the Rams' pairing of Aina Hernandez Soler and Madison Porter.
 
The Tigers will return home for a pair of mid-week away matches. Towson will take on Loyola on Wednesday, March 25 at 3:30 p.m. The Tigers will then travel to battle Delaware for a CAA matchup at 2 p.m. on Thursday, March 26.