CHARLOTTE – CHARLOTTE – After winning its first match of the season last Friday, the Gardner-Webb women's tennis squad returned to action at Charlotte on Wednesday afternoon and suffered a 5-2 defeat.

The Runnin' Bulldogs started the match with momentum, as Sarah Rieckmann and Valentine Limauge won at No. 2 doubles by a 6-3 score. Despite taking the first match, Charlotte won at No. 3 doubles, 6-4, and clinched the point with a 7-6 (5) in the No. 1 position.

"We had a chance to win the doubles point and played a lot of good tennis today," said head coach Jim Corn. "Charlotte is a great team; they're strong at every position, and we've got to give them credit. We're playing good tennis. Our girls had a great effort, so I'm excited about that. We have to close out matches, and we will as we continue to apply pressure on our opponents. It was an outstanding effort by the team today with a lot of positives."

Miljana Ristic opened singles play with a 6-0, 6-3 victory over the 49ers' Emma Scott to tie the match at one, but Gardner-Webb was unable to sustain the moment as Charlotte reeled off four consecutive victories to take a 5-1 lead. Limauge ended the day with a 7-6 (7-2), 10-8 victory in the No. 5 position, but when it was all said and done, the Runnin' Bulldogs fell, 5-2.

The loss drops Gardner-Webb to 1-3 overall, while the 49ers improve to 3-3.

The Runnin' Bulldogs will play their second consecutive road contest when they travel to UNCG on Saturday, February 17. The match between GWU and the Spartans of UNCG is set for 1 p.m. in Greensboro, North Carolina.