DENVER – The University of Denver women's tennis team (2-4) handed Utah (9-1) its first loss of the season, and earned its first Power-5 win in the process as the Pioneers defeated the Utes 4-3 on Saturday afternoon at the George S. Eccles Tennis Center.
 
Doubles:
The Pioneers grabbed the all-important doubles point to lead things off on Saturday afternoon. Toni Nelson and Tatum Burger got over the finish line first, winning on the No. 3 court 6-1. The Denver third tandem improved to 3-3 on the season. Britt Pursell and Camille Verden-Anderson also improved to 3-3 on the campaign, getting it done on court No. 1 to clinch the point, taking their match 6-2.
 
Singles:
Utah evened things up with a straight-set win on court five before Anna Riedmiller made it 2-1 Pioneers with a straight set win of her own on the top court Saturday. Riedmiller took her match 6-1, 6-4 to improve to 3-3 on the year.
 
Pursell, who had to move up to the No. 2 court with Taylor Melville out of the lineup on Saturday, won her match in three quick sets, taking her match 3-6, 6-0, 6-2.
 
Utah's Lindsay Hung came from a set down on court three to pull back to within one with two matches to play. Another three-set win for the Utes on court four leveled the match at 3-3, turning all eyes to court six for the deciding point.
 
Nelson won the first set 6-4 and broke in the last game of the match to win the second set 7-5 and win the match for the Pioneers. Nelson is now 2-2 in singles play this season.
 
Up Next:
Denver will return to the Denver Tennis Park next weekend, starting with its fifth-straight match against a Power-5 school when the Pios welcome Iowa to the Denver Tennis Park Friday at 1 p.m. MT. Denver will open Summit League play the following day when the Pioneers host Omaha Saturday at 1:30 p.m. MT.
 
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