AUBURN, Ala. – The Samford University women's tennis team suffered its first defeat of the 2012-13 season Saturday as the Bulldogs were defeated by the No. 68-ranked Auburn Tigers, 4-0, in an early-season, nonconference match held at the Yarbrough Tennis Center.
 
Samford (3-1) played on the road for the first time this season and also faced its first ranked opponent of the 2013 campaign. Auburn (5-1) extended its winning streak to five-consecutive matches and has not been defeated since Jan. 16, when the Tigers were topped by eighth-ranked North Carolina on the road in Chapel Hill, N.C.
 
Saturday's defeat snapped the Bulldogs' three-match winning streak. Samford opened its 2013 season with consecutive home victories against Austin Peay, 7-0, Kennesaw State, 6-1, and Mercer, 7-0.
 
The Bulldogs and Tigers met on the hard-court for only the ninth time in history Saturday. The Bulldogs have never defeated the Tigers and Auburn holds a 9-0 advantage in the all-time series.
 
The Samford University women's tennis team will next be in action Wednesday at 1 p.m. (CST) as the Bulldogs play host to the Jacksonville State Gamecocks in a former Ohio Valley Conference rivalry match to be held at the Samford Tennis Center.