FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.  Methodist's Division III women's tennis team ran into a stronger opponent Wednesday at the Clayton Tennis Center, dropping an 8-1 decision to the visitors from D-II Barton College.

Megan Kidd at the No. 4 singles spot earned the lone point for the Monarchs, winning a three-set marathon in the last match on the courts.

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: Barton def. Methodist, 8-1
Records: Methodist 3-5, Barton 3-0
Location: Clayton Tennis Center; Fayetteville, N.C.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Barton swept the three doubles matches for a 3-0 lead, but Methodist pairings at Nos. 2 and 3 presented big challenges for the opposing Bulldogs tandems.
• Kidd and Jill Lawrence teamed up at 3-doubles and pushed Barton's Ada Vargas and Luciana Prudencio before falling, 8-5, to the duo.
• The match at No. 2 was even closer, as Taylor Jackson and Toni Laney pulled even at 7-7 with Isabella Caballero and Claudia Capellades, but the Barton twosome prevailed in the tiebreak, 7-3.
• Barton won five of the six singles matches in straight sets. However, Valeria Matute at No. 5 presented issues for the Bulldogs' Vargas, pushing her to a set tiebreak in the opener, though falling 7-6 (3). Vargas completed the match with a 6-3 second-set win.
• That left Kidd still out on the court against Grace McCartney. Kidd was overpowered, 6-1, in the opening set, but battled back in the second to even the match with a 7-5 win to push the match to a super-tiebreaker. This time it was Kidd who was overpowering, dominating the tiebreak, 10-2, for the set and match victory.

UP NEXT
Methodist begins USA South Athletic Conference action with its next match, a home bout at the Tennis Center at 1 p.m. Saturday against William Peace University.