Box Score ST. LOUIS - Playing their first away match in a month, the No. 20 Owls of William Woods University (7-7, 4-0 Heart of America Athletic Conference) eked out a big 4-3 win at Heart archrival, the Spartans of (RV) Missouri Baptist University (9-7, 2-1) Wednesday at Dwight Davis Tennis Center.

"Nina and Sophia came through today with a huge win to clinch doubles 7-6 for us to get the doubles point," William Woods tennis coach Abigail Lemberger Hughes said. "It was a big contributor to our attitudes entering singles. My freshman Chloe came out again, and clinched the match for us 6-4, 7-5 to give us a huge conference win. I was very proud of the girls and the energy they brought today."

In doubles, the Owls had to overcome a match-opening defeat at the three line as WWU's Zara Littlejohn and Samya Sikand fell 6-1 to MBU's Polina Agapitova and Mariana Azevedo.

Turning it around, Woods' top doubles team of Hanna Lindeboom and Mireia Simon Sanchez, ranked 22nd in the latest ITA NAIA women's tennis doubles rankings, took a 6-1 decision in a nationally-ranked contest against the Spartans' Nirva Patel and Yvonne Shannon, the 12th-slotted doubles duo in the nation. Fighting point for point, WWU's No. 2 doubles pair of Kristina Dimitrijevic and Sophia Hausner earned the Owls the doubles point, beating Jocelynn Carmody and Mia McIsaac 7-6.

Lindeboom, ranked 35th in the most recent ITA NAIA women's tennis singles rankings, picked up her second nationally-ranked upset of the day, opening singles with a 6-2, 6-2 one-line triumph over Patel, ranked 34th.

Missouri Baptist narrowed its deficit to 2-1 after Dimitrijevic lost 6-3, 6-3 to Shannon at the three line. Then, the Spartans tied it at 2 when the Owls' Simon Sanchez dropped a 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 decision to Agapitova at the two spot. Following that, MBU gained the upper hand 3-2 after WWU's Sikand fell 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 to Carmody.

Not looking back, the Owls soared back and completed the comeback. To achieve that, WWU's Hausner won 6-1, 6-1 over Teodra Iacob at the five slot, then freshman Chloe Hecker, a Melbourne, Australia native, prevailed 6-4, 7-5 in the six-spot game-set-match-clinching result over Azevedo.

Returning home for its second match in as many days, William Woods concludes the regular season, hosting NCAA Division II Southwest Baptist University (7-5) at 2 p.m. Thursday at Suzanne Neal Memorial Tennis Complex in Fulton.