CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The William and Mary women's tennis team could not keep its streak going against nationally-ranked competition, dropping a 4-3 nailbiter to No. 64 Kansas State on Saturday afternoon at the Murr Tennis Center. The Green and Gold claimed the doubles points and senior Anik Cepeda and junior Hope Johnson continued their winning ways in singles, but the Wildcats won four singles matches, including a pair of three-set tilts at the top two spots, to claim the team triumph. K-State won its season opener, while the Tribe falls to 4-2 on the year.

W&M claimed the doubles point for the third time this season with victories at the No. 1 and No. 3 posts to take an early 1-0 advantage. Playing together for the second straight match, Cepeda and junior Sydney Smith got the Tribe off on the right foot with an 8-1 triumph over Ana Gomez and Amina St. Hill at the No. 3 position. Cepeda and Smith improved to 2-1 all-time as a team.

The Green and Gold's top team and the No. 3 nationally ranked duo of juniors Maria Belaya and Jeltje Loomans clinched the point with a victory over Kansas State's nationally-ranked duo. The Tribe twosome downed No. 34-ranked Petra Niedermayerova and Karla Bonacic, 8-4, to improve to 13-2 overall and 4-1 in dual-match play.

Johnson and Cepeda each won their third straight match in singles competition at the No. 4 and No. 5 posts. Johnson upended Carmen Borau, 7-5, 6-1, at No. 4 to even her ledger at 8-8 on the year, including a 3-2 dual-match mark.

Cepeda won for the sixth time in her last seven matches at the No. 5 slot as she downed Amina St. Hill, 6-3, 6-4. The Tribe senior pushed her singles ledger to 12-10, including an impressive 5-1 in dual-match play.

Kansas State countered with straight-set wins at the No. 3 and No. 6 positions, leaving the balance of the match to a pair of three-setters at the top two posts. Kansas State's No. 15-ranked Petra Niedermayerova was able to hold off the Tribe's top player, Maria Belaya, in three sets, 6-4, 4-6, 6-0, at the top position. At No. 2, Loomans jumped out to a set advantage taking the first in a tiebreaker for the Green and Gold, but K-State's Karla Bonacic rallied to claim the final two sets, 7-5, 6-2, in clinching the Wildcats' team win.

The Tribe returns to action when it opens Colonial Athletic Association play against UNCW on Saturday, Feb. 2. The match is slated for a 5 p.m. start time at the McCormack-Nagelsen Tennis Center.

#64 Kansas State 4, William and Mary 3
Singles
No. 1 - #15 Petra Niedermayerova (KSU) def. Maria Belaya (W&M) - 6-4, 4-6, 6-0
No. 2 - Karla Bonacic (KSU) def. Jeltje Loomans (W&M) - 6-7 (4), 7-5, 6-2
No. 3 - Ivana Kubickova (KSU) def. Leeza Nemchinov (W&M) - 6-3, 7-5
No. 4 - Hope Johnson (W&M) def. Carmen Borau (KSU) - 7-5, 6-1
No. 5 - Anik Cepeda (W&M) def. Amina St. Hill (KSU) - 6-3, 6-4
No. 6 - Ana Gomez (KSU) def. Sydney Smith (W&M) - 6-0, 6-1

Doubles
No. 1 - #3 Belaya/Loomans (W&M) def. #34 Niedermayerova/Bonacic (KSU) - 8-4
No. 2 - Johnson/Nemchinov (W&M) vs. Borau/Kubickova (KSU) - 7-5, abandoned
No. 3 - Cepeda/Smith (W&M) def. Gomez/St. Hill (KSU) - 8-1