LYNCHBURG, Va. - Charleston Southern fell by a 4-3 score at Liberty in a Big South women's tennis match Saturday, March 19 at the Hershey Tennis Courts in Lynchburg, Va. The decision was CSU's first regular season conference setback since the 2009 season.

Liberty raises its record to 8-6 on the season, including 2-1 in Big South play, while CSU now holds a 4-5 record, 1-1 in conference matches.

The Bucs won the 2010 Big South Regular Season Championship by sweeping all seven conference matches. Until Saturday, CSU had not lost a regular season BSC match since April 7, 2009, a 4-3 loss to Winthrop.

On Saturday, each team claimed three singles matches. Liberty won two out of three contests at doubles to earn what became the decisive point for victory.

The Lady Flames earned the doubles point with two wins. LU won the No. 1 flight, 8-6, as Jordan Jenkins and Hannah Fick defeated Olga Makhova and Marija Dzakovic. CSU triumphed at No. 2 doubles, with Heather Isbell and Angie Torres winning in their first match as a doubles pair, 8-5, over Cameron Richard and Alexandra Sheeran. The pair of Carol Lobel and Valeriya Klintsevich topped Brooke Pletcher and Alia Nour, 8-5.

CSU won its matches at three out of the top four flights, but the Lady Flames earned victory at No. 2, 5 and 6 to give the home team the 4-3 win.

Olga Makhova won her fifth straight decision at No. 1 singles, beating Fick in three sets. Current Big South Player of the Week Cameron Richard defeated CSU's Brooke Pletcher, 7-5, 6-2, at No. 2 singles.

Marija Dzakovic won the No. 3 match for CSU, a three-set match against Sheeran. Nour, the two-time Big South Freshman of the Week, won for the fifth time this season, downing Lobel, 6-3, 6-3.

LU's Annisha Domenech bested Torres in straight sets at No. 5 singles, while No. 6 Rebekah Jenkins claimed both sets from Susita Das.

The Bucs will remain in Virginia one more day, taking on Radford Sunday, March 20 at 1 p.m.

Liberty (8-6, 2-1 Big South) def. Charleston Southern (4-5, 1-1 Big South), 4-3
Hershey Tennis Courts
Lynchburg, Va. - March 19, 2011

Singles Competition
1. Olga Makhova (CSU) d. Hannah Fick (LU) 6-4, 2-6, 10-8
2. Cameron Richard d. Brooke Pletcher (CSU) 7-5, 6-2
3. Marija Dzakovic (CSU) d. Alexandra Sheeran (LU) 4-6, 6-4, 10-8
4. Alia Nour (CSU) d. Carol Lobel (LU) 6-3, 6-3
5. Annisha Domenech (LU) d. Angie Torres (CSU) 6-2, 6-2
6. Rebekah Jenkins (LU) d. Susita Das (CSU) 6-2, 6-2

Doubles Competition
1. Jordan Jenkins/Hannah Fick (LU) d. Olga Makhova/Marija Dzakovic (CSU) 8-6
2. Heather Isbell/Angie Torres (CSU) d. Cameron Richard/Alexandra Sheeran (LU) 8-5
3. Carol Lobel/Valeriya Klintsevich (LU) d. Brooke Pletcher/Alia Nour (CSU) 8-5