PORTLAND, Ore. – Grand Canyon held on for a nail-biting 4-3 victory over Portland in a non-conference women's tennis dual match Monday afternoon at the GCU Tennis Facility. The deciding point came down to a third set tiebreaker, where Emilia Occhipinti was able to pull out the win in dramatic fashion.

The Pilots drop to 6-4 overall on the season, while the Antelopes improved to 4-7 with the victory.

With the team score tied at 3-3, Occhipinti dropped the first set at No. 1 singles to Pilot junior Jelena Lukic, but won the second set and was able to win the tiebreaker by a 7-5 margin.

Emily Soares and Lourdes Ramalle were leading 5-2 at No. 2 doubles for the Pilots, but the match went unfinished as Grand Canyon clinched with doubles wins at the other two positions.

Portland was able to secure straight set singles wins from Soares, Ramalle and Angela Schuster to tie the overall score setting up the deciding point.

Schuster, a true freshman, won her seventh consecutive match and improved to 8-1 this spring in dual matches.

Portland will return to action on Friday, March 15 at BYU. That match is scheduled for an 11 a.m. start.

Grand Canyon 4, Portland 3
Phoenix, Ariz. (GCU Tennis Facility)
March 4, 2019

Singles
1. Emilia Occhipinti (GCU) def. Jelena Lukic (POR) 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (5)
2. Celia Morel (GCU) def. Raphaelle Leblanc (POR) 6-1, 7-6
3. Emily Soares (POR) def. Celina Buhr (GCU) 7-5, 6-1
4. Lo Pumo, Martina (GCU) def. Marija Elenova (POR) 6-4, 6-3
5. Lourdes Ramalle (POR) def. Ludovica Infantino (GCU) 6-1, 6-2
6. Angela Schuster (POR) def. Autum Prudhomme (GCU) 7-4, 7-5

Doubles
1. Occhipinti/Buhr (GCU) def. Lukic/Anna Oberg (POR) 6-2
2. Lo Pumo/Mathilde Lirzin (GCU) vs. Soares/Ramalle (POR) 2-5, unfinished
3. Morel/Prudhomme (GCU) def. Laura Okazaki/Schuster (POR) 6-0

Match Notes:
Portland 6-4
Grand Canyon 4-7
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (5,4,2,3,6,1)