FLORENCE, S.C. - The No. 40-ranked Lander women's tennis team met defeat Thursday in the first-round of the Peach Belt Conference tennis tournament when the Lady Bearcats fell to No. 24 Flagler, 5-3, at the Dr. Eddie Floyd Tennis Center. The Lady Bearcats bounced back to defeat seventh-seeded Montevallo, 5-1, in a consolation game.

Lander, the tournament's sixth seed, moves to 16-6 overall. The Lady Bearcats will play for fifth place against a yet to be determined opponent at 8 a.m., Friday.

Against Flagler, in doubles, No. 1  Carolina Lainez/Cayce Bradley (L) def. Hanna Goettsching/Esther Santiago (F) 8-5; No. 2 Marion Courbis/Renata Mello (L) def. Thaisa Pereira/Anika Cohen (F) 8-6; and No. 3 Kelly Stewart/Krista Ingrilli (F) def. Tiffany Vanhpraseuth/Alyssa Savill (L) 8-2.

In singles, No. 1 Esther Santiago (F) def. Marion Courbis (L) 6-2, 6-1; No. 2 Kelly Stewart (F) def. Carolina Lainez (L) 6-3, 2-6, 6-4; No. 3 Hanna Goettsching (F) def. Ivanka Mocic (L) 6-3, 6-0; No. 4 Tiffany Vanhpraseuth (L) def. Thaisa Pereira (F) 6-3, 6-2; No. 5 Krista Ingrilli (F) vs. Alyssa Savill (L) 6-4, 2-6, 0-1, unfinished; and No. 6 Anika Cohen (F) def. Cayce Bradley (L) 6-2, 6-2.

Against Montevallo, in doubles, No. 1 Lainez/Bradley (L) def. Nikola Polcerova/Anais Robert (UM) 9-8; No. 2 Allison Howell/Haley Highfield (UM) def. Courbis/Mello (L) 8-3; and No. 3 Vanhpraseuth/Savill (L) def. Liucija Smaizyte/Juanita Ossa (UM) 8-5

In singles, No. 2 Carolina Lainez (L) def. Liucija Smaizyte (UM) 6-0, 6-1; No. 4 Ivanka Mocic (L) def. Allison Howell (UM) 7-6, 3-0, retired; and No. 5 Alyssa Savill (L) def. Haley Highfield (UM) 6-0, 6-1.