LA CROSSE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) - Just one week before the WIAC championships, the UW-Eau Claire women's tennis team recorded its second conference lost of the season after falling 7-2 this morning to UW-La Crosse.

Eau Claire's two victories on the day came from the No. 1 singles match of Megan Born (Jr.-Antigo, Wis.) and the No. 5 match of Emily Hiebl (Jr.-Wausau, Wis./East). While Born easily earned the 6-2, 6-2 victory, Hiebl had a harder road to victory with a 3-6, 7-5, 11-9 final result.

But despite the lopsided final score, the Blugolds played the Eagles close all day. Three of the losses in singles play came down to the third set and all matches in the doubles competition were decided by two games or less. The No. 1 doubles match of Born and Hiebl and the No. 3 event of Gretchen Bachmeier (So.-Eau Claire, Wis./North) and Mary Frassetto (Fr.-Oshkosh, Wis./West) were both decided by twin 9-8 results.

Entering the match, the Blugolds and the Eagles were second and third in the WIAC standings. The loss drops the Blugolds to 6-4 overall and 4-2 in the conference. The Eagles improve to 9-2 overall and 4-1 in the WIAC.

Next weekend the Blugolds head to Madison, Wis. to compete in the two-day WIAC Championship. The results of the 39th annual event, combined with the regular season finishes, will determine the conference champion.  The first events are set to begin at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Last year, the Blugolds finished third of the seven conference teams. Eau Claire last won the championship in 2002.