W. TENNIS | Spring break in Florida has not quite been fun in the sun for the women’s tennis team.

The No. 24 Bulldogs (10–4) lost their second consecutive match in the Sunshine State on Saturday, falling to No. 47 Florida International by a score of 4–3. The close match was decided in the final set of the last singles match, and team members said that despite their best efforts, they could not come away with a win.

Saturday’s match got off to a rough start when the Elis lost all three doubles matches and consequently the doubles point. But singles victories from No. 3 Jessica Rhee ’10, No. 4 Elizabeth Epstein ’13 and No. 5 Stevi Petrelli ’11 tightened up the score, allowing the team to make a come back.

The No. 6 singles match, featuring captain Sarah Lederhandler ’10 and FSU’s Maria Vallasciani, decided the match. After losing the first set 4–6, Lederhandler came back to win the next set 6–3 before falling in a tie break by a score of 5–7.

“Yesterday was tough,” Brook said. “Given the conditions the team managed very well, but unfortunately we couldn’t quite pull out the win.”

She added that the team has taken away valuable lessons from playing outdoors this week and hopes these will inform their play over the rest of spring break and into the Ivy League season.

The Bulldogs will compete in the last of their four spring break matches on Saturday, when they return home to the Cullman-Heyman Tennis Center to face Quinnipiac. Yale’s only victory over spring break came against Western Michigan on March 7.

The Ivy League season will officially begin for the Bulldogs when they take on Princeton at home on April 2.