PHOENIX, Ariz. - The Drake University women's tennis team opened the 2019 portion of its schedule with a hard-fought, 4-3, loss at Grand Canyon University, Friday evening.

Five of the contest's singles matches went to three sets and the match was not decided until the final match was finishing and GCU's Emilia Occhipinti pushed past Drake's Liza Petushkova (Moscow, Russia), 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (8-6). 

Drake sophomore Carmen Palumbo (McLean, Va.) tied the match at 3-3 just prior to that with a three-set, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (8-6) win over Martina Lo Pumo.

Junior Sophia Haleas (Clarendon Hill, Ill.) also won a singles match for the Bulldogs with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 win over Ludovica Infantino. 

Drake opened the match by winning the doubles' point with Petushkova and Kenya Williams (Lauderhill, Fla.) prevailing 6-3 and Palumbo teaming with Daria Walczak (Lodz, Poland) to win 6-3.

The Bulldogs remain in Arizona to take on Arizona State Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. CST.

Grand Canyon 4, Drake 3
1/18/2019 at Phoenix, Ariz. (GCU Tennis Facility) 
Singles competition
1. Occhipinti, Emilia (GCU) def. Liza Petushkova (DU) 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (8-6)
2. Carmen Palumbo (DU) def. Lo Pumo, Martina (GCU) 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (8-6)
3. Buhr, Celina (GCU) def. Daria Walczak (DU) 6-4, 6-2
4. Morel, Celia (GCU) def. Kenya Williams (DU) 2-6, 6-0, 6-1
5. Sophia Haleas (DU) def. Infantino, Ludovica (GCU) 6-3, 3-6, 6-2
6. Prudhomme, Autum (GCU) def. Megan Webb (DU) 6-4, 5-7, 6-1

Doubles competition
1. Liza Petushkova/Kenya Williams (DU) def. Occhipinti, Emilia/Buhr, Celina (GCU) 6-3
2. Carmen Palumbo/Daria Walczak (DU) def. Lo Pumo, Martina/Infantino, Ludovica (GCU) 6-3
3. Morel, Celia/Prudhomme, Autum (GCU) def. Megan Webb/Kelsey Neville (DU) 6-3

Match Notes
Drake 0-1
Grand Canyon 1-1
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (3,4,6,5,2,1)
T-3:09 A-100