The seventh-ranked Middlebury women's tennis team began its annual spring break trip to California with a narrow 5-4 setback Sunday to Division II Academy of Art at the Asuza Pacific Tennis Courts. The Panthers (2-1) return to action Monday with a 4:30 p.m. match at another nationally-ranked Division II foe in #21 Asuza Pacific.

The Urban Knights (11-2) tallied wins in two of the evening's three doubles matches. Middlebury's Skylar Schossberger and Alexandra Fields were the first off the court at #3 with an 8-2 win over Monika Stanikova and Paula Alcantara. Academy of Art tied the match at 1-1 when Alma Thell-Lenntorp and Klara Thell-Lenntorp posted an 8-4 victory in the #1 spot over Christina Puccinelli and Katherine Hughes. The Urban Knights' Annika Schneider and Taisiia Andrieieva gave their team the smallest of leads when they recorded an 8-6 win over Middlebury's Kaysee Orozco and Catherine Blazye in the second spot.

In singles, Academy of Art jumped ahead 3-1 when Alma Thell-Lenntorp bested Hughes by scores of 6-2, 6-3 at #5. Blayze pulled the Panthers to within one with a convincing 6-2, 6-0 victory in the third spot over Maria Andrisani.

The Urban Knights clinched the match with a pair of three-set victories. Klara Thell-Lenntorp came back from a set down for a 6-7 (7), 6-1, 6-2 triumph over Heather Boehm at #4, while Schneider tallied a 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 win against Fields in the second slot.

 The Panthers posted the final two points with three-set wins. Puccinelli tallied a 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-4 victory in the top spot over Stanikova, while Molly Paradies was victorious over Andrieieva at #6 (6-4, 4-6, 6-1).