BOX SCORE
 

ORLANDO, FLA. (SMU) - SMU Women's Tennis fell in a heartbreaker, 4-3, to USF in the semifinals of the American Athletic Conference Championship.
 
The Mustangs won the doubles point against the second-seeded Bulls led by wins on No. 1 and No. 3 from the pairings of Karina Traxler/Tiffany Hollebeck and Vivienne Kulicke/Avery Aude.
 
The singles was filled with drama as everything coming down to the final court. In the early-going, the Mustang started by splitting the first sets, including Ana Perez-Lopez who pulled out a win in a tiebreaker.
 
USF jumped ahead when they won a pair of courts, against Hollebeck on No. 6 and Traxler on No. 4. The Mustangs didn't waver and worked their way back into a tie at 2-2 thanks to Kulicke. After dropping set one, 6-4, the senior rallied back and won the next two sets by 6-2 scores over the nation's 58th-ranked player.
 
Senior Liza Buss won her first set but dropped the second sending the Bulls back in front and within one point of clinch.
 
In the two remaining courts, Perez-Lopez and Sarai Monarrez Yesaki both had a chance to clinch the match as their courts headed to second-set tiebreakers. They would both fall, 7-5, sending it to a crucial third set. All eyes turned to court four once Monarrez finished off her win in the third. Perez-Lopez was down in a hole 5-1 and was able to stay alive with a hold. The senior couldn't get the break and the Bulls clinched a spot in the title game against UCF. 
 
The Mustangs finish the season at 12-13 and advanced to their sixth straight conference semifinals.