MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee tennis team battled tough with Eastern Michigan, but the Panthers came up just short falling 4-3 to the Eagles Saturday evening from Elite – River Glen.
 
Milwaukee (2-3) came out on fire in doubles, taking two-of-three matches to earn the doubles point. Sophomore duo Greta Carbone and Iva Stejskalova remain undefeated (4-0) together from the No. 1 doubles line after defeating EMU's Isabelle Popma and Vasavi Ganesan, 6-3. The Black & Gold clinched the point when Mayya Perova and Nikki Milner finished with a 6-2 victory.
 
"That was an incredible college tennis match," said head coach Jason Potthoff. "I was very happy with how well we competed to come away with the doubles point. Credit to Eastern Michigan, they came out with great energy in singles on courts 3-6 and they fought hard to get back into it when we won quick first sets on 1 & 2. In the end it came down to just a few points in two amazing three-set matches, and it hurts to come up just short when everyone put everything they had into it. But this team is tough and resilient and we'll be ready to fight again tomorrow."
 
In singles, senior Mayya Perova got the Panthers back on track after a 6-1, 6-4 sweep over Prerna Vichare.
 
Down one set after winning just one game, sophomore Babette Burgersdijk stormed back and won the next two sets to win the match, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 to square up the match, 3-3.
 
The match came down to the No. 1 line, Greta Carbone and EMU's Luisa Pelayo. It kept the fans on pins and needles with the back and forth scoring, but in the end, it was Eagle's Pelayo who came out on top and clinch the match for Eastern Michigan. Carbone won the first set 6-1, but came up shy in the next two sets for a final score of 6-1, 5-7, 6-7 (4).
 
The Panthers will look to regroup quickly as they take on cross-town rival Marquette for a Sunday matinée beginning at 3 p.m. from Elite – River Glen.