Purchase, N.Y. – The Mount Saint Mary College Women's Tennis team battled past Manhattanville Saturday afternoon, scoring a 5-4 victory and earning its first conference win of the year. Sadie McNair (Newburgh, N.Y.) won her team leading fifth singles match of the year and Blanca Ayala Santana (Port Jervis, N.Y.) clinched the victory with a fourth singles triumph.
 
Mount Saint Mary got off to a good start in the match, winning two of the three doubles matches to carry a 2-1 advantage into singles play. McNair and Julia Flynn teamed for an 8-3 first doubles victory, picking up their second win as a tandem this fall.
 
At second doubles Carly Green (Holbrook, N.Y.) and Victoria Valencia (Floral Park, N.Y.) collected their first victory as a unit with an 8-0 blanking of their opponents from Manhattanville. The third pairing of Ayala Santana and Victoria Veloz-Vicioso (Englewood, N.J.) nearly completed the doubles sweep, but were narrowly defeated 8-7 (7-5).
 
In singles play, Green moved to 4-4 on the season after earning a 6-2, 6-4 victory at the second position. McNair moved to 5-4 on the season with an identical 6-2, 6-4 third flight victory.
 
With the match tied at 4-4, Ayala Santana clinched the victory with a hard fought 6-4, 6-4 triumph at the fourth slot. The win is her second of the season for the Knights.
 
Saturday's victory stopped a to-match slide for the Knights and improves them to 3-6 overall on the season and 1-2 in Skyline Conference play. Next up for the Knights is a home date with Purchase on Monday evening. Doubles at matches are scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m.