BELMONT, N.C. – The Lander women's tennis team earned a hard-fought 4-3 win over Belmont Abbey on Saturday afternoon, picking up its first victory in the month of March. 

Lander (4-8) grabbed an early lead on the Crusaders (5-9) as Nelli Lius and Lindsey Wiggins swiftly earned a 6-1 win at No. 2 doubles. Manasi Ramadani and Lucia Ric followed with a 6-4 win at the No. 3 slot to give the Bearcats the doubles point and a 1-0 advantage. 

A pair of quick wins in singles action put the Bearcats up 3-0, as Eduarda Ferreira notched a 6-0, 6-1 win at No. 1 and Lius cruised to a 6-0, 6-0 win at No. 3. Belmont Abbey closed the gap to 3-1 before Isabella sealed the win with a 6-2, 3-0 victory in the No. 2 position. The Crusaders won the final two singles matches of the day to make the final score 4-3. 

Lander returns to the Joe Cabri Tennis Center on Sunday afternoon to host Flagler at 1:00 p.m.