LYNCHBURG, VA – The Randolph College women's tennis team held a 4-3 lead with two matches to play but couldn't hold on as the Vixens of Sweet Briar College captured a come-from-behind 5-4 victory over the WildCats in their Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) opener.

                The match did not come without a huge amount of twists and turns. In doubles action, Randolph (3-1/0-1 ODAC) took care of business at the No. 1 spot, as sophomore Anna Culpepper (Midlothian, Va./Midlothian) paired with Dina Velazco (Barquisimeto, Venezuela / Colegio Las Fuertes) for an easy 8-3 win.

                Sweet Briar fought back to take No. 3 doubles 8-3, but a great effort from the No. 2 pairs team from Randolph helped earn the last double's point. Sophomores Patricia Verdezoto (Cuenza, Azuay, Ecuador/Bilingue Interamericano) and Kaitlyn Kolster (Powhatan, Va./Powhatan) trailed 6-3 at one point in the match, but fought back to earn a gritty 9-8 win, taking the tiebreak 8-6.

                In singles action, Velazco cruised at No. 2 singles as she earned a straight set 6-3, 6-2 victory in her first ever ODAC match.  The Vixens would win the next two bouts at No. 5 and No. 6 singles to pull the match even at three with three competitions left to play. Culpepper won the first set of her No. 3 singles match in a tie break 7-6 (9-7), but dropped set two 6-2. In the super tiebreaker and with the score tied at five, Culpepper took five of the last six points to take the match victory.

                That's when things got interesting, as the sun slowly started to move closer and closer towards the horizon with both No. 4 and No. 1 singles still in action. Both contests were forced to be suspended and moved to the lighted Sports Racket Tennis Club 10 minutes from campus. Kolster had already rallied to force a super tiebreaker, but came up just short with scores of 6-2, 6-7 (3), 10-8.

                In the deciding match, Sarah Manter was able to earn a 6-4, 7-6 (5) win at No. 1 singles to pick up the match win for the Vixens. In total, the match took over four hours to complete and the No. 3 singles match alone took over two hours to play.

                The WildCats are back in action Friday afternoon when the Eagles of Bridgewater College come to Lynchburg for a 3:30 p.m. first service.

--RANDOLPH--