HICKORY, N.C. --- Tusculum University lost 4-3 to Lenoir-Rhyne University in the final South Atlantic Conference women's tennis match of the 2021 regular season on Sunday.

The Pioneers (10-7, 7-5 SAC) dropped their third straight match and will head to the SAC Championship tournament as the sixth seed. The quarterfinals begin Thursday at the Palmetto Tennis Center in Sumter, South Carolina.

Tusculum took a 1-0 lead in doubles as Julia Lopez teamed with Paulina Loretz for a 7-5 win over Gemma Southwick and Lucy Whelan at flight one, and Emilie Hansen partnered with Rory Church to defeat Alicia Wahlberg and Evelin Menyhart 6-1 at flight two.

The Bears (11-3, 9-3 SAC) won their four singles matches in straight sets, with the Pioneers rallying for three-set victories to gain two points. At flight two, Hansen came back for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 win over Wahlberg, while Loretz came from a set down to beat Menyhart 3-6, 6-3, 6-0 at flight three.

Tusculum and Lenoir-Rhyne will have a rematch in the quarterfinal round of the SAC Championship tournament, beginning at 9 a.m. on Thursday. The winner advances to the semifinals on Friday, followed by the title match on Saturday.