ORLANDO – The State University of New York at New Paltz women's tennis team (9-3) lost to Colby College (1-6), 5-4, before bouncing back with a 7-2 victory over Merrimack College (4-3) on Monday in Orlando in non-conference action.

Against the Mules, New Paltz battled in doubles, but only the flight one tandem of seniors Stephanie Schara (Huntington, N.Y.) and Lindsey Garyn (Melville, N.Y.) captured a point for the Hawks. Schara, Garyn and freshman Paige Munroe (Ann Arbor, Mich.) all won at flights one, three and six in singles, respectively, while Colby's Sarah Wiener and Kathryn Vergeyle each won at the No. 4 and No. 5 positions.

With the match riding on the result of flight two of singles, Tess Perese of Colby and sophomore Montana Wilson (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) fought back and forth. Perese took the first set, 7-6, while Wilson claimed the second, 6-3. Perese wound up getting the best of Wilson in the super tiebreak, winning, 6-4, to give Colby both the point and the match.

Fortunes changed that evening for the Hawks, though, as they rallied for a 7-2 win over NCAA Division II Merrimack College in the nightcap. New Paltz swept in doubles, while Garyn, sophomores Kayla DiPaulo (Liverpool, N.Y.) and Alli Esposito (Bellmore, N.Y.) and Munroe won at flights two through five, respectively.

New Paltz finishes out play in its Florida trip on Wednesday, March 23, taking on Colorado College at 10 a.m. in Orlando. 

Colby 5, New Paltz 4

Doubles:
1. Stephanie Schara/Lindsey Garyn (NP) def. Katie Muto/Tess Perese (COLBY), 8-3
2. Sarah Wiener/Kathryn Vergeyle (COLBY) def. Montana Wilson/Kayla DiPaulo (NP), 9-7
3. Katie Brezinski/Sally Holmes (COLBY) def. Alli Esposito/Paige Munroe (NP), 9-7

Singles:
1. Stephanie Schara (NP) def. Katie Muto (COLBY)
2. Tess Perese (COLBY) def. Montana Wilson (NP), 7-6, 3-6, 6-4
3. Lindsey Garyn (NP) def. Katie Brezinski (COLBY), 6-2, 1-6, 6-1
4. Sarah Wiener (COLBY) def. Kayla DiPaulo (NP), 6-4, 6-1
5. Kathryn Vergeyle (COLBY) def. Alli Esposito (NP), 6-0, 6-1
6. Paige Munroe (NP) def. McKenzie Love (COLBY), 6-3, 0-6, 6-2 

New Paltz 7, Merrimack 2

Doubles:
1. Stephanie Schara/Lindsey Garyn (NP) def. Alex Barnes/Courtney Garvey (MERR), 8-0
2. Sharyce Willand/Kayla DiPaulo (NP) def. Kara Hole/Mollie Fitzgerald (MERR), 8-2
3. Alli Esposito/Paige Munroe (NP) def. Erin McMahon/Katie Veasey (MERR), 8-1

Singles:
1. Kara Hole (MERR) def. Stephanie Schara (NP), 6-4, 7-5
2. Lindsey Garyn (NP) def. Courtney Garvey (MERR), 6-2, 6-3
3. Kayla DiPaulo (NP) def. Alex Barnes (MERR), 6-4, 6-4
4. Alli Esposito (NP) def. Mollie Fitzgerald (MERR), 6-3, 6-2
5. Paige Munroe (NP) def. Kylie Waddington (MERR), 6-4, 6-1
6. Erin McMahon (MERR) def. Sharyce Willand (NP), 0-6, 7-5, 10-7