Virginia Wesleyan dropped a tightly contested 4-3 decision to Grinnell on Tuesday, falling just short despite a strong rally in singles play.

The Marlins found themselves in an early hole after Grinnell swept all three doubles matches to take a 1-0 lead. The visitors controlled play across the board, earning wins at No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 doubles to seize momentum heading into singles action.

Virginia Wesleyan battled back in singles, claiming three victories to keep the match within reach. Zoe Vliegen delivered a straight-set win at No. 2 singles, bouncing back after dropping her first doubles match. Lexi Hackbirth earned a gritty three-set victory at No. 5, prevailing in a 10-point tiebreak after splitting the first two sets. Jette Dammeier followed suit at No. 6 singles with another three-set triumph, also sealing the match with a 10-point tiebreak.

Despite the Marlins' push, Grinnell secured the deciding points with wins at No. 1 and No. 3 singles, along with a win by retirement at No. 4 singles, which ultimately proved to be the difference.