ITHACA, N.Y. – Junior Sarah O'Neil defeated a ranked opponent in both singles and doubles and the women's tennis team stood toe-to-toe with one of the top teams in the Ivy League before falling to Princeton on Sunday, 4-3, at Reis Tennis Center.
 
The Big Red led the match 3-2 after junior Christine Ordway finished off Lindsay Graff, 7-5, 6-2, at No. 2 singles. But 72nd-ranked Princeton (12-10, 5-2 Ivy) rallied from first-set losses at the lower two spots in the lineup and won both matches in three sets to surge ahead for good.
 
The Tigers won two of three doubles matches to earn the first available point on the day. O'Neil and freshman Lauren Frazier won the No. 1 match for Cornell (9-10, 1-6 Ivy) over 34th-ranked Graff and Hilary Bartlett, 8-4.
 
Sophomore Ryann Young kicked off singles play with a straight-set victory at No. 3, her team-leading 13th singles win of the season. Princeton then regained the lead with a victory at No. 4 before Cornell struck back.
 
O'Neil won her match at the top spot, deafting 116th-ranked Bartlett, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(4). O'Neil competed at the No. 1 spot for all of Cornell's matches this season and was 3-0 against ranked opponents. Two of those victories were against Bartlett – the other coming in ECAC Indoor Championship play – while she also kicked off the dual season with a three-set victory over then-No. 111 Kim Berghaus of UMBC.
 
The Big Red finished its second season under head coach Mike Stevens with a nearly identical record to last season, with the only difference being one fewer non-league match played this season. Cornell isn't expected to lose any of its roster to graduation.
 
#72 PRINCETON 4, CORNELL 3
Sunday, April 22
At Reis Tennis Center; Ithaca, N.Y.
Singles
1. Sarah O'Neil (C) def. #116 Hilary Bartlett, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(4)
2. Christine Ordway (C) def. Lindsay Graff, 7-5, 6-2
3. Ryann Young (C) def. Katherine Flanigan, 6-1, 6-4
4. Rachel Saiontz (P) def. Gabby Sullivan, 6-3, 6-2
5. Monica Chow (P) def. Lauren Frazier, 0-6, 7-5, 7-5
6. Katie Goepel (P) def. Sara Perelman, 5-7, 6-4, 6-0
Doubles
1. Frazier/O'Neil (C) def. #34 Bartlett/Graff, 8-4
2. Goepel/Saiontz (P) def. Ordway/Young, 8-6
3. Chow/Flanigan (P) def. Perelman/Sullivan, 8-3
Order of finish
Doubles (3,1,2), Singles (3,4,1,2,6,5)
Records
Princeton 12-10, 5-2 Ivy League; Cornell 9-10, 1-6 Ivy