USF battled hard on the road Friday afternoon but fell 4-1 to No. 57 Rice at the George R. Brown Tennis Center.

The Owls claimed the early doubles point, but the Bulls showed resilience throughout singles play with multiple extended battles and a key comeback win.

Rice struck first in singles at the No. 5 position, but USF continued to compete point-for-point across the remaining courts. At No. 4, Josefine Falster responded after dropping the opening set with a dominant 6-0 second set to force a decider, highlighting the Bulls' fight.

USF got on the board at No. 3 singles, where Margherita Marcon delivered the team's standout performance of the day. After falling in the first set, she rallied back with a composed and aggressive effort to secure a three-set comeback victory and put the Bulls within striking distance.

At No. 2, Sienna Leeson also pushed her match to three sets, grinding out a tight second-set tiebreak to extend play. Despite the momentum shift, Rice ultimately clinched the match there to secure the team result.

Two additional courts went unfinished, including a strong showing from Melisa Senli at No. 1, who opened with a dominant first set and remained competitive deep into her match.

The Bulls will look to carry that momentum into tomorrow as they face FIU at a neutral site at Rice. First serve is set for 10 a.m.

About Women's Tennis
Be sure to follow USF women's tennis on social media (Twitter / Facebook / Instagram) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information.

Head coach Cristina Moros, a former collegiate national champion and four-time All-American, is in her 11th year at the helm entering the 2025-26 season. She was named the 2017 AAC Coach of the Year after leading the Bulls to the conference championship that season.

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