TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Lander women's tennis team opened competition at the ITA Division II Individual National Championships on Wednesday, with the doubles pairing of Astrid Sandwall Tornqvist and Esther Mansson battling in a tightly contested opening-round match at the Tuscaloosa Tennis Center.

The Bearcats faced sixth-seeded Evi Roobol and Kaia Sperry of Hawaii Pacific in the round of 32, taking the opening set 7-5 before dropping the second 6-4. Sandwall Tornqvist and Mansson pushed the match to a third-set tiebreak before falling 18-16, narrowly missing out on a spot in the round of 16.

"The ladies played a good team," Lander head coach Alan Ferguson said. "I'm proud of the way they competed during the match. We never lost focus, and our effort was outstanding. We're looking forward to our next match. We're a little tired, but we'll be ready to battle."

The duo entered the national championships after earning an at-large selection following their semifinal appearance at the ITA Division II Southeast Regional Championships in October.

Despite the opening-round setback, Sandwall Tornqvist and Mansson will continue competition in the tournament's consolation bracket, listed as the West draw.

The Bearcats will face Lilly Bandel and Elena Arenas Guisasola of Chestnut Hill College in Thursday's consolation round of 16 at 3:30 p.m. CT, looking to bounce back and extend their run at the national championships.