VANCOUVER, Wash. – It took a Division I opponent to deal the Linfield women’s tennis team its first loss of the year, but just barely. Portland State earned a slim 4-3 victory over the Wildcats in a nonconference match Sunday afternoon at Club Green Meadows.

The Vikings, who compete in the Big Sky Conference, won their third match of the year to improve to 3-11. Meanwhile, the Wildcats (9-1) saw their nine-match win streak end.

Portland State won all three doubles flights to earn the lone point awarded to the team that prevails in doubles competition according to Division I scoring rules. This differs from the Division III model, which awards one point for each match.

In the No. 1 match, Megan Govi and Marina Todd defeated Abby Olbrich and Caroline Brigham (Jr., Eagle, Idaho) 8-6. Audrey Farr and Nayanatara Vadali turned away the Nip sisters in the middle flight while Marti Pellicano and Alexa McDonald earned the 8-3 decision over Lexi Thomas (Sr., Redding, Calif.) and Kelly Watanabe (Soph., Kirkland, Wash.).

The Wildcats got even in singles play, winning three of six flights, including the top two. Linfield had to work hard for those points, however, as all three matches went to three sets.

Olbrich extended her win streak to seven matches with her 6-2, 1-6, 6-4 victory over Farr at No. 1 singles. Brigham held off Pellicano 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 and Watanabe rallied to defeat Vadali at No. 6 singles in a barnburner, by a score of 4-6, 6-3, 1-0 (13-11).

Portland State earned its victories in the third, fourth and fifth flights. McDonald handed Kaila Nip (Soph., Lahaina, Hawaii) her first collegiate loss by a score of 6-3, 1-6, 6-3. Govi defeated Thomas 6-1, 6-2 and Todd handled Kiana Nip 6-1, 6-2.

NEXT: The Wildcats pack their bags for a three-game road swing to California over spring break. Linfield faces three nationally ranked opponents in No. 9 Middlebury (March 30, 9 a.m.), No. 8 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (March 31, 10 a.m.) and No. 27 UC-Santa Cruz (March 31, 3 p.m.).