LEXINGTON, Ky.--The Samford women's tennis team dropped a 4-3 decision to Miami of Ohio in a match played at the University of Kentucky Saturday afternoon.
 
"We had our chances in the doubles today, with two match points at No. 2 doubles to clinch the point," Samford head coach David Vest said. "This isn't the first time we have been in this situation this season where we didn't take advantage of match points, it happened against MTSU just two weeks ago.  So we will have to learn from our mistakes and use them to help us as we near the conference match portion of our schedule."
 
Samford took the No. 1 doubles match, with Jessica Northcutt and Carita Moolman defeating Anastasiia Vasiukhina and Nelli Ponomareva, 6-4. Miami, however, took the wins at courts two and three to earn the doubles point.
 
"I thought Jess and Carita played another solid match at No. 1 doubles," Vest said. "But we have to be on the same page at all three doubles positions for us reach our potential this season."
 
The teams split the six singles matches. Samford's Iva Parapunova earned a 6-3, 6-4 win at the No. 3 spot over Ponomareva. At the No.  5 singles position, Savannah Wood defeated Emily Struble, 3-6, 7-6, 11-9. Freshman Georgina Jupp earned her first collegiate win, defeating Erin Rodriguez, 7-5, 2-6, 11-9 at No. 6.
 
"Iva played her best singles match of the season today, and Savannah and Georgie both had tough three-set wins," Vest said. "We are headed in the right direction, but we have a lot of adjustments to make, both mentally and on court.  We will get back out on court tomorrow against UK and try to compete better across the board than we did today"
 
Samford will play at 20^th-ranked Kentucky Sunday morning at 9 a.m. (CT).
 
Miami (OH) 4,  Samford 3
Boone Tennis Complex—Lexington, Ky.
Feb. 27, 2016
 
Singles competition
1. A. Shapovalova (MIA) def. Jessica Northcutt (SAM-W) 6-1, 6-4
2. Andreea Badileanu (MIA) def. Carita Moolman (SAM-W) 6-2, 6-0
3. Iva Parapunova (SAM-W) def. Nelli Ponomareva (MIA) 6-3, 6-4
4. Hannah Shteyn (MIA) def. Ellie Gerlach (SAM-W) 6-2, 6-2
5. Savannah Wood (SAM-W) def. Emily Struble (MIA) 3-6, 7-6, 11-9
6. Georgina Jupp (SAM-W) def. Erin Rodriguez (MIA) 7-5, 2-6, 11-9

Doubles competition
1. Jessica Northcutt/Carita Moolman (SAM-W) def. A. Vasiukhina/Nelli Ponomareva (MIA) 6-4
2. Hannah Shteyn/A. Shapovalova (MIA) def. Iva Parapunova/Ellie Gerlach (SAM-W) 7-5
3. Andreea Badileanu/Emily Struble (MIA) def. Savannah Wood/Georgina Jupp (SAM-W) 6-3