PARKER, Colo. – The Metropolitan State University of Denver women's tennis team battled against Division I Northern Colorado in a dual on Sunday afternoon, but fell to the Bears by a 4-0 score in the first dual of the spring season.

"It's clearly disappointing to not get the result today, but it wasn't through lack of effort," MSU Denver coach Josh Graetz said Sunday. "Some of the matches could have gone either way, and we didn't do a good enough job of executing in the big moments."

The Roadrunners won one doubles match, as Kayla Myburgh and Gala Castello triumphed 6-4 in the No. 3 position. Northern Colorado came away with the doubles point, however, winning matches in the No. 1 and No. 2 spots. Brooklyn Ross and Mackenzie Hotan put up a solid fight in No. 2 doubles, but fell by a 6-4 score.

There were a number of hotly contested matches in singles, especially in the No. 1 and No. 2 spots. Ross won the first set against Sandra Keta, 7-5, but fell 6-2 in the second set before an unfinished third set that was all knotted at 4.

Meanwhile, Tabitha Porter also won a set and battled in two others against Raffa Mora in No. 2 singles, but Mora proved victorious, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3.

Castello was competitive in the first set with Milena Belianovich in No. 3 singles, but Belianovich scratched out a 6-4 set win before taking the match with a 6-1 score in the second set. Helena Steenberg also pushed Madison Wolfe in the second set of their No. 4 singles match, but Wolfe won by a 6-1, 7-5 count.

Kayla Myburgh lost 6-0 in the opening set of her No. 5 singles match with Sarina Chhabra, but it was unfinished when Northern Colorado clinched the match.

The MSU Denver women's tennis squad will take the court next on Feb. 29, when Texas A&M-Kingsville visits the Regency Athletic Complex for a 2 p.m. dual.

"We will learn from today and get better," Graetz said.