WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – For the second time in three weeks, William & Mary senior Mila Saric highlighted the Tribe's effort with a nationally-ranked win at the top singles position on Sunday afternoon.
 
In the dual match, the Tribe battled close with No. 26-ranked Iowa State with the top five singles positions all going to three sets. In the end, the Cyclones (9-0) won four of the five three-set tilts to pull out the 6-1 win.
 
After rallying for a three-set win over No. 79-ranked Margaux Maquet of Charlotte on Feb. 19, Saric followed a similar path on Sunday in downing No. 51-ranked Thasaporn Naklo. The Cyclone player won the opening set, 6-1, before Saric mounted her comeback. The Tribe senior won the second set, 6-4, before completing the rally with a 6-3 victory in the third. Saric improved to 16-4 overall and 6-2 at the top singles spot.
 
Iowa State opened the match by claiming the doubles point with wins at the top two spots. Both the No. 1 and No. 3 slots went down to the wire, before the Cyclones' Naklo and Christin Hsieh gave the visitor a 1-0 lead thanks to a narrow 6-4 win at the top post.
 
After Iowa State won the lone straight-set match on line six to increase its lead to 2-0, the other five contests went to three sets. Junior Raffaela Alhach and freshman Ine Stange won opening sets at No. 4 and No. 5, but could not hold on for victories. Freshman Hedda Gurholt and junior Elisa Van Meeteren both rallied with wins in the second sets at No. 2 and No. 3, only to have their comeback bids denied in the third set.
 
Up Next: The Tribe returns to action in 10 days when it opens its Spring Break trip at East Carolina on Wednesday, March 16.
 
#26 Iowa State 5, William & Mary 2
Singles
No. 1 – Mila Saric (W&M) def. #51 Thasaporn Naklo (ISU) – 1-6, 6-4, 6-3
No. 2 – Ange Oby Kajuru (ISU) def. Hedda Gurholt (W&M) – 7-6 (3), 5-7, 6-2
No. 3 – Miska Kadleckova (ISU) def. Elisa Van Meeteren (W&M) – 6-2, 6-7 (4), 7-5
No. 4 – Anna Supapitch Kuearum (ISU) def. Raffaela Alhach (W&M) – 6-7 (2), 6-2, 6-2
No. 5 – Chie Kezuka (ISU) def. Ine Stange (W&M) – 5-7, 6-3, 6-4
No. 6 – Sofia Cabezas (ISU) def. Emma Fernald (W&M) – 6-3, 6-4
Finishing Order: 6, 4, 1, 5*, 3, 2
 
Doubles
No. 1 – Naklo/Hsieh (ISU) def. Saric/Gurholt (W&M) – 6-4
No. 2 - #37 Cabezas/Kadleckova (ISU) def. Alhach/Van Meeteren (W&M) – 6-2
No. 3 – Fernald/Stange (W&M) vs. Oby Kajuru/Kezuka (ISU) – DNF, 5-4
Finishing Order: 2, 1*