COLUMBUS, Ga. -- After taking a tough loss against Emory on Thursday, Columbus State team rebounded to take a grueling 5-4 victory against 20th-ranked Valdosta State on Saturday. The top-20 showdown took place at the Mary V. Blackmon Tennis Center on the campus of CSU.
Needing to take an early advantage, the Lady Cougars (6-1) won two of the three doubles matches. In the marquee match, eighth-ranked Paola Cigui and Beatriz Leon blanked Michelle Fischer and Sabrina Schmidt 8-0. CSU also recorded a victory at second doubles as Camila Tobar and Olivera Jokic defeated Jessica Tuggle and Moriah Hibbard 8-3.
Valdosta State (3-2) got on the board at third doubles when Jennifer Rink and Laura Ubeda edged Laura Chapman and Saravinder Pannu 8-6.
Things became interesting in singles play as the Blazers attempted a comeback. Ubeda knocked off Tobar 6-1, 6-4 at third singles while Julianna Boehm won easily against Chapman. Boehm won the match 6-2, 6-3 to tie the overall match at three.
At second singles, 23rd-ranked Leon gave Columbus State the lead right back with a 6-0, 6-1 victory versus Rink.
After dropping her first match in her career on Thursday, second-ranked Cigui bounced right back to take an exciting three-set match. After trading 7-6 victories, Cigui won the third set 6-2 to take the match.
However, a 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 victory by Schmidt at fourth singles versus Jokic knotted the match at four.
In the deciding match, Olivera Tadijin was able to rally back from a 1-6 loss in the first set to defeat Joanna Lario 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 at sixth singles.