The University of Tennessee at Martin women's tennis team lost, 4-3, Sunday night to Samford in the Ohio Valley Conference Championship Tournament at Centennial Sportsplex in Nashville.

"The team has played well all season long," Taylor said. "I am very proud they made it to the finals."

With only one senior on the team, Anna Bakran, the Skyhawks have a solid foundation for next season.

"Replacing Ana is going to be tough because she has a great deal of experience," Taylor said.

In the championship match, Sari Nortje and Katrina Domela defeated Samford's Sarah McKey and Emily White, 8-3, while Gayatri Ramesh and Jeanne de Wet defeated Samford's Jen Pharr and Bethany Benson, 8-5. With the two doubles wins, the Skyhawks claimed the one point.

In singles action, Nortje and Ramesh claimed wins, while de Wet and Bakran lost.

The conference championship came down to the No. 4 singles match where Domela faced McKey.

McKey won the the first set 6-4, but Domela won the second set 7-5. McKey wrapped up the championship for Samford when she won the third set 6-4.

To get to the championship match, the Skyhawk women beat No. 5 Eastern Kentucky, 4-0, in the tournament's opening round Friday. In the semifinals, the Skyhawks upset No. 1 Murray State, 4-3, Saturday afternoon.

The Skyhawk women finished the regular season with an 11-6 overall record, 7-3 in the OVC.