PELLA— The Central College women's tennis team played its final tune up match before the American Rivers Conference tournament when it hosted Division II Truman State University (Mo.).
           
The Dutch (10-12) lost 6-1, despite the matches being competitive.
           
Truman State won the doubles point with wins at Nos. 1 and 3. The duo of Jenna Mitsuko Mahoney (junior, Misawa, Japan, Robert D. Edgren HS) and Becca Vala (senior, Omaha, Neb., Elkhorn HS) won 6-3 at No. 2. Keleigh Hall (senior, Keokuk) and Madi Whalen (junior, Kansas City, Mo., Park Hill HS) lost 7-5 in their match at No. 3.
           
"Vala and Mahoney looked like themselves again which was nice to see," said coach Ryun Ferrell. "No. 3 doubles had some chances to win but just came up short."
           
In the singles matches Emily Blom (freshman, Pella) was the lone match winner. She won 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) at No. 6 singles.
             
Lauren Gano (sophomore, Johnston) at No. 4 and Emma Murphy (sophomore, Liberty, Mo.) at No. 5 both went into third-set tiebreaks in their matches. Gano and her opponent swapped 6-0 decisions in the first two sets before Gano fell 10-5 in the tiebreak. Murphy won her first set 6-4 before falling 6-3 in the second set. In the tiebreak she also lost 10-5.
           
"We were right there to take this team down," Ferrell said. "It was a great match, and we had a lot of fun. We had chances all over the place but came up short today."
           
The Dutch finished as the No. 3 seed in the A-R-C in the fall season, which means they will host the No. 6 seed Loras College Tuesday in the first round of the tournament starting at 4 p.m. The Dutch earned a 5-2 win at Loras in the fall.
           
"Its going to be a great match and I am looking forward to see what we can do," said Ferrell.