CRETE, Neb. – Facing an NCAA Division II opponent, the College of Saint Mary tennis team gave a strong account of itself in its fall opener Saturday, dropping a tight 5-2 decision at Doane University.

Three of the six singles matches went to 10-point tiebreakers, with Truman State winning two of them, while one of the doubles matches went to a seven-point tiebreaker before the Bulldogs prevailed.

"It was a great learning experience, and we showed a fighting spirit against the D-II school today,'' CSM Coach Mike Johnson said. "I was happy with the way we approached our matches today on the court.''

The singles winners for the Flames were Iyaanah Pardiwalla at No. 2, who won 6-3, 6-4, and Darece Van Auken at No. 5, who won 6-3, 0-6, 1-0 (10-3).

"The player of the day today was Iyaanah,'' Johnson said. "Her on-court demeanor has really changed in the last year. More focused. Smarter choices. Great leadership.''

Also in singles, Yana Gupta lost 6-1, 6-0, at No. 1; Carolyna Truong lost a hard-fought 6-4, 2-6, 1-0 (10-3) decision at No. 3; Miranda Swanson went the distance but lost 4-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-3) at No. 4; and Maribel Baltazar lost 6-0, 6-0 at No. 6.

At No. 1 doubles, Pardiwalla and Gupta were extremely competitive, losing 7-6 (7-4). Truong and Swanson lost 6-4 at No. 2 doubles and Van Auken and Baltazar lost 6-0 at No. 3 doubles.

Johnson said the Flames are excited to compete in the GPAC Individual Tournament on Sept. 27 and 28 in Lincoln.

"We will come back with a focus on making sure we succeed at the basics and continue to lock up our focus,'' he said.

The team concluded their day by enjoying a drive through the Wildlife Safari Park near Ashland, Neb.