The torrid schedule continued for the Middlebury women's tennis team, as the third-ranked Panthers (7-4, 4-1) dropped a 5-4 NESCAC match at ninth-ranked Bowdoin (10-3, 4-3) on Saturday afternoon. Nine of Middlebury's 10 Division III matches this season have come against ranked teams, including five in the top 11.

Middlebury claimed an early 2-1 advantage in doubles play as the Panthers' duo of Brittney Faber and Leah Kepping edged Emma Chow and Chantalle Lavertu 8-6 at #1. Ria Gerger and Lok Sze Leung claimed an 8-3 win at #2 over Bowdoin's Emma Lewis and Tiffany Cheng, but Bowdoin was able to earn a single point with an 8-4 win at #3 courtesy of Kellen Alberstone and Kate Winingham over Lauren Amos and Margot Marchese.

In singles play, the Panthers got points from Lok Sze Leung at #1 (6-4, 6-1) and Dorrie Paradies at #5 (7-5, 6-4). The Polar Bears countered with wins from Lavertu at #2 (6-1, 7-6), Winingham at #4 (6-3, 6-4) and Chow at #6 (6-2, 6-3), knotting the contest at 4-4 with one match remaining.

Middlebury's Leah Kepping took the opening set against Bowdoin's Tiffany Cheng, but Cheng staved off elimination in a tie-breaker in the second set and dominated the third to clinch the match for the Polar Bears, 2-6, 7-6 (3), 6-1.

Bowdoin will return to the court on Saturday, April 20 at home against Brandeis. Middlebury will play at Colby Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m.