WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Catholic University women's tennis team fell to a strong Randolph-Macon squad by a score of 8-1 on Sunday afternoon. 

Rookies Mairead O'Hara and Ava Niggemeier combined for a near-perfect performance at No. 2 doubles to save a shutout for the Cardinals. They got going early and won with a final score of 8-2. 

No. 3 doubles featured another freshman in Meaghan Laniewski and junior Paige Brightwell. The duo was down 3-6 after the first nine sets and battled back to lead 7-6 before forcing the match into a tiebreak. The team was barely edged out in the 7-point tiebreak and fell 10-12. 

On the singles side of things, the Cardinals were close to wins on multiple occasions. Brightwell found herself in another competitive match at the No. 3 spot. She stayed composed and battled to the end, but ultimately lost by a single break in each of her sets. 

O'Hara won her first set and fell in the second to send the match to a tiebreak. After landing a few key points, she conceded 7-10. Likewise, Marissa Stambaugh had a nail-biter first set that wasn't lost until the tiebreaker.

Today's match concludes the fall schedule for the Cardinals. The team will return to action with Landmark Conference matches starting in March.