INDIANA, PA – The Crimson Hawks won all three doubles matches, which proved to be the difference as they narrowly defeated Grand Valley State 5-4 in a battle of top 50 Division II women's tennis teams on Sunday afternoon.
 
IUP is ranked 44th in the nation and improves to 14-8 overall while Grand Valley is ranked 46th and falls to 20-7 on the year. The score was identical to the neutral site matchup between these two schools a year ago.
 
Tanya Timko (Cannonsburg, PA/Chartiers-Houston) and Erika Schnaas (Mexico City, Mexico/Escuela Nacional Preparatoria ) picked up IUP's first doubles win of the day with an 8-4 victory over Carola Orna and Lexi Rice at No. 1. Orna and Rice are ranked ninth in the latest Midwest rankings.
 
Ranvita Mahto (Burlington, ON/Robert Bateman) and Rachel Wood (Nottingham, U.K./West Bridgrord) were next to finish at the No. 3 spot, also securing an 8-4 victory while Sophie Butland (Taunton, Somerset U.K./Bishop Fox's Community School) and Alanna McFail (Fort Washington, Md. /St. John's College ) picked up an 8-5 win at No. 2.
 
In singles play, Timko was the first to finish, defeating Rice by a score of 6-0, 7-5 at No. 1 to put the Crimson Hawks up 4-0. It was her 21st singles win of the season and ninth over a player ranked in the top 20 of a region, as Rice currently sits at No. 12 in the Midwest.
 
The Lakers picked up the next two victories, with Butland falling 6-2, 6-3 at No. 2 and Mahto losing at No. 4 by a score of 6-2, 6-4.
 
Schnaas had the match clinching win for the Crimson Hawks with a 6-4, 6-1 victory at No. 3.
 
Grand Valley had the final two wins but to no avail, with Wood falling at No. 5 in a three-setter, 6-2, 3-6, 6-0 and McFail losing at No. 6, 6-1, 6-4.
 
This is IUP's final match before tomorrow's Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) quarterfinal matchup with Mercyhurst. The Crimson Hawks hold the second seed in the Western Division while Mercyhurst is the third.