PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Saint Joseph's women's tennis team took it down to the wire, but in the end, the Hawks fell to Duquesne, 4-3, at the Alpha Tennis and Fitness Club of Pittsburgh on Saturday.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Duquesne grabbed the early lead via the doubles point.  Anna Kirk and Stow Weiss were 6-1 winners in the second flight, but the Dukes won the remaining flights to claim the point.
 
• Saint Joseph's drew level through a third-flight win by Fabiana Tort-Umpierre, and after the hosts took the second flight, Weiss won her first-flight match to make it 2-2.
 
• The Dukes edged ahead once again with a win in the fifth flight, but Ireland Amato was a winner in the sixth to level the proceedings once again.  Unfortunately for the Crimson and Gray, Duquesne won the final remaining match to secure the overall triumph.
 
HAWK TALK
"As close as it can get; under conditions that favored the home team, the Hawks pushed them to the limit," head coach Ian Crookenden said.  "It was a toss-up doubles point with set points going each way before being decided.  We had great play in singles from Fabiana, Stow, and Ireland and valiant efforts from Charlotte and Emily, with only Sophia having a difficult time against a very tough opponent.
 
"Dramatic, arduous, and tense; the Hawks gave a fantastic performance as a team against a higher-rated conference opponent."
 
UP NEXT
The Hawks remain in the Steel City to face Dayton on Sunday morning.
 
RESULTS
 
Duquesne 4, Saint Joseph's 3
 
Doubles
1. Daniela Latoni / Margot Pessy (DUQ) def. Emily Elliott / Charlotte Kordonowy (SJU), 6-4
2. Anna Kirk / Stow Weiss (SJU) def. Anastasiia Kotsyuba / Jasa Roka (DUQ), 6-1
3. Ellen Shanahan / Ana Utrilla Benito (DUQ) def. Ireland Amato / Sophia Amato (SJU), 7-5
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3
 
Singles
1. Weiss (SJU) def. Pessy (DUQ), 7-5, 7-5
2. Latoni (DUQ) def. Kordonowy (SJU), 6-3, 7-5
3. Fabiana Tort-Umpierre (SJU) def. Natasha Novak (DUQ), 6-4, 6-2
4. Shanahan (DUQ) def. Elliott (SJU), 7-6 (4), 6-4
5. Roka (DUQ) def. S. Amato (SJU), 6-1, 6-0
6. I. Amato (SJU) def. Kotsyuba (DUQ), 6-4, 6-2
Order of Finish: 3, 2, 1, 5, 6, 4
 
Game Scores
Singles: Duquesne 60, Saint Joseph's 57
Doubles: Saint Joseph's 15, Duquesne 14
Total: Duquesne 74, Saint Joseph's 72