COLLEGE PARK, MD -- The University of Maryland women's tennis team lost to No. 1 seed Michigan 4-3 in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals.

Also the No. 3 team in the nation, Michigan had to earn every point, with Maryland nearly coming back from a 3-1 deficit.
 
Michigan started quick in doubles, winning the No. 2 and No. 3 matches 6-0 to clinch the doubles point and a 1-0 lead.
 
Michigan then pulled ahead by two, winning the No.2  singles match over Ema Kovacevic 6-3, 6-4. Oliwia Orlinska responded, getting the Terps on the board with a 6-4, 6-4 win in the No. 4 singles match. 

Aida Eissa showed incredible fortitude in the No. 6 singles match, forcing a third set after being swept in the first 6-0. Michigan's Jessica Bernales won the third set 6-3, clinching the match and moving Michigan ahead 3-1.

The Terps yet again showed they wouldn't go down easy, with Diya Challa winning a hard fought No. 5 singles match. After splitting the first two sets, Challa would go on to win the third in a tiebreaker, pulling Maryland within one.

Danielle Hack did her part in the No. 3 singles match, bouncing back from a loss in the first set to win the second. The third set went back and forth, but Hack shut the door, winning 7-5 to tie the match at 3-3. 

Going up against the fifth ranked singles player in the country, Kallista Liu gave it her all. After losing a well fought first set 7-5, Liu came out on top in the second, winning the tiebreaker to force a third set. As it went in the prior two sets, Liu and Michigan's Julia Flienger went back and forth, with Flienger pulling away to win 6-4, clinching the 4-3 for Michigan.

The Terrapins are one of two teams in the nation to lose to the Wolverines by one point. With the only other being second seed Ohio State (No. 10 in the country).

BREAKING DOWN THE ACTION
 
DOUBLES
1. Bernales/Jones (MICH) vs. Kovacevic/Challa (MD), 4-1 uf
2. Fliegner/Miller (MICH) d. Liu/Hack (MD), 6-0
3. Charney/Sartz-Lunde (MICH) d. Orlinska/Eissa (MD), 6-0
Order of finish: 2, 3


SINGLES
 1. Julia Fliegner (MICH) d. Kallista Liu (MD), 7-5, 6-7, 6-4
2. Piper Charney (MICH) d. Ema Kovacevic (MD), 6-3, 6-4
3. Danielle Hack (MD) d. Lily Jones (MICH), 6-7, 6-3, 7-5
4. Owilia Orlinska (MD) d. Emily Sartz-Lunde (MICH), 6-4, 6-4
5. Diya Challa (MD) d. Reese Miller (MICH), 6-3, 3-6, 7-6
6. Jessica Bernales (MICH) d. Aida Eissa (MD), 6-0, 4-6, 6-3
Order of finish: 2, 4, 6, 5, 3, 1

Cover Photo Courtesy of Jeff Liang