ORLANDO, Fla. – On paper, the Ursinus College women's tennis team was very close to being swept in Friday's Florida finale against North Central. In reality, the Bears almost won the match.
In one of the tightest lopsided score lines imaginable, Ursinus came up on the short end of four third-set super tiebreakers in singles play as the Cardinals posted an 8-1 victory that could have gone either way.
Freshman Jessica Leach and sophomore Madisen Harvey were the lone winners for the Bears (4-4), who finished 3-3 on their annual spring break trip. The pair combined to register an 8-3 victory at number three doubles.
North Central (9-4) won in straight sets at third and fifth singles, but every other court hung in the balance from start to finish. Junior Caitlyn Sorelle at number one, freshman Maddie Russell at number two, and Burkholder all won the first set of their respective individual bouts, but weren't quite able to finish off their foes. Russell fell 10-6 in the super tiebreaker, while Burkholder lost by a count of 10-5 and Sorelle conceded a 10-2 decision.
Burkholder came closest to breaking up the Cardinals' run, but wound up a point or two shy in an 11-9 thriller.
The women's tennis team returns home to open Centennial Conference play against Franklin & Marshall on Thursday, March 21.