BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The University of West Alabama Women's Tennis Team gave Division I Samford all they could handle on Thursday, falling 4-3 in a tightly contested match.

West Alabama (1-1) won three singles matches and one doubles match but a razor thin 7-5 victory in Line Two doubles for Samford (4-1) ultimately led the Bulldogs to their win.

"I loved our energy today," said head coach Jeff Beaman. "This was a match where the doubles point was crucial and it came down to the wire."

The doubles duo of Alexa Milliam and Shaira Rivera won their doubles match, 6-4, while Valentina Mutilba/Jenaila Prulla and Nanoka Kazama/Jian Ibrahim both dropped tightly contested matches. Mutilba and Prulla's doubles match came down to the wire but the tandem ultimately fell, 7-5, as Samford took the doubles point.

In singles play, Rivera dominated the Bulldogs' Lea Erenda, (6-1,6-0) in Line One to secure the first point of the match for the Tigers. In Line Four, Mutilba moved to 2-0 on the year with a sweep against Samford's Laila Fishman. In Line Five, West Alabama's Prulla and Samford's Hailey Troup turned in the best match of the day. In a three-set affair, Prulla took the match, (4-6, 6-0, 6-4). That would be the final singles victory of the day for UWA as Milliam and Ibrahim fell in Lines Two and Three.

"I thought we really competed well," coach Beaman continued. "We got pushed today and that's a good way to get ready for the rest of the season."

West Alabama will be back in action on Saturday for a matchup against another Division I opponent in Alabama State.