DAHLONEGA, Ga. — It was season to remember for the Flagler College women's tennis team.
 
It goes without saying that the result Tuesday afternoon — a 4-2 loss to second-seeded Columbus State University in the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Final — wasn't what the top-seeded Saints wanted to see at the UNG Tennis Complex at Yahoola Creek Park, but it didn't take away from the history Flagler made en route to the match.
 
Finishing at 16-5, the eighth-ranked Saints won their last eight of nine matches which included a victory over CSU (16-4) in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament Championship for the program's first ever. The Saints also made their first appearance in the ITA Indoor Championships to put the Flagler brand on the map and begin a year that turned into something truly special.
 
"We knew coming into this final it was going to be a dogfight and it began in the warmup — both teams really wanted it," Flagler head coach Rodrigo Puebla said. "We had to make some changes in the lineups, and it reflected in our strong doubles play which I thought was the best we had played all season.
 
"During singles, we lost some momentum. Columbus showed a lot of heart and it just went their way more in the end. It is a disappointing loss, but looking back we had one of our best seasons yet and hopefully this success will help us build for the future to become a powerhouse."
 
On Tuesday, the Saints came out strong in doubles as the duo of Luisa Hrda/Amelie Vossgaetter took the first point on court one and Paloma Martinez/Eden Schlagenhauf secured it on court No. 3 for the 1-0 lead.
 
The 10th-ranked Cougars then responded with three straight singles' wins — coming on courts No. 2, 4, and 6 — and put the Saints in a crunch. Nineteenth-ranked Hrda gave Flagler a breath of fresh air when she battled back to win sets two and three versus ninth-ranked Beatriz Lopez and defeat CSU's top singles' player for the second time in as many matches for her ninth straight victory. The win pulled the Saints within a point, needing to win on court three and six to clinch the match and move onto nationals.
 
Alessandra Traub kept the hope alive as she won a tie-breaking second set to force a third on court three, but shortly after, Martinez wasn't able to hold back Yelena Labat as she took the fourth and final point. 
 
#10 Columbus State 4, #8 Flagler 2
5/11/21 at Dahlonega, Ga. (UNG Ten nis Complex at Yahoola Creek Park)
 
Singles competition
1. #19 Luisa Hrda (FLG) def. #9 Beatriz Lopez (CSU) 4-6, 6-3, 6-1
2. #36 Candace Paya (CSU) def. #23 Eden Schlagenhauf (FLG) 6-2, 6-2
3. Alessandra Traub (FLG) vs. Luise Sachs (CSU) 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 2-1, unfinished
4. Valentina Abrile (CSU) def. Anika Nissen (FLG) 6-4, 6-1
5. Agostina Bigotti (CSU) def. Amelie Vossgaetter (FLG) 7-5, 7-5
6. Yelena Labat (CSU) def. Paloma Martinez (FLG) 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
 
Doubles competition
1. Luisa Hrda/c (FLG) def. Beatriz Lopez/Luise Sachs (CSU) 6-2
2. Alessandra Traub/Anika Nissen (FLG) vs. Valentina Abrile/S. Ramirez Goncalves (CSU) 5-2, unfinished
3. Paloma Martinez/Eden Schlagenhauf (FLG) def. Candace Paya/Amanda Citre (CSU) 6-4
 
Match Notes
Columbus State 16-4; National ranking #10; Regional ranking #2
Flagler 16-5; National ranking #8; Regional ranking #1
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (2,4,5,1,6)
NCAA D2 Southeast Regional - Final
#1 Flagler vs. #2 Columbus State

Be the first to know what's going on with the Saints -- Follow @FlaglerSports on Twitter, follow FlaglerSports on Instagram, become a fan of Flagler College Athletics on Facebook and subscribe to the Flagler College Athletics e-newsletter to receive the latest news, schedule updates and to interact with Flagler Athletics.