WINFIELD, Kan.  — Despite a hard-fought doubles win, Southwestern College fell to Avila University 6-1 in a women's tennis dual match.

The highlight of the night for the Moundbuilders came in doubles play, where Alexis Kirchner and Natalie Blaufuss secured a 6-4 victory over Avila's Tia Johnson and Alex Davis. The duo's strong chemistry and aggressive net play gave Southwestern an early spark.

In singles action, Kirchner battled but fell to Dani Wells in straight sets, 2-6, 2-6. Blaufuss also faced a tough challenge, dropping her match to Kylie Brown, 0-6, 0-6. Rosemary Eke showed resilience in her match, pushing the first set to a close 5-7 before falling 0-6 in the second.

Head coach Piper Marquez praised the team's effort despite the outcome. "Alexis and Natalie played great in doubles, and we showed some fight in singles. We'll keep working and improving as the season progresses," Marquez said.

Southwestern, now 1-6 on the season, will aim to rebound in its next matchup.