The Lakeland University women's tennis team had a weekend of near-misses and facing some of the better teams in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference as it dropped three matches over two days.

The Muskies lost to Milwaukee School of Engineering 6-3 in a dual Sunday at Nicolet High School in Glendale. Lakeland also dropped a pair of matches Saturday at home at Plymouth High School, falling to NACC power Concordia University Wisconsin 9-0 and then losing to St. Norbert College 7-2.

The Muskies come out of the weekend with a 3-5 overall record and are 2-4 in the NACC. Lakeland has three duals remaining in its fall conference season and is one-half match out of sixth-place in the league, with the top six teams in the final standings qualifying for the conference tournament in the spring.

The Muskies were especially close to turning a few matches that could have changed the final result in a close match throughout all levels against MSOE. Kassidee Webb (Fr.-Castroville, Texas) was defeated by Hope Triplett at No. 3 singles in three hard-fought sets, 7-5, 2-6, 7-5, and Lakeland's two doubles losses also were close as Mary Blossom (Fr.-Farmington, Mich.) and Sadie Conway (Jr.-Monroe, Wis.) were defeated 8-6 at No. 1 doubles by Michaela Haensgen and Karley Way and Baylee Babcock (Jr.-Mauston, Wis.) and Morgan Erbstoesser (Sr.-Union, Ill.) fell 8-5 at No. 3 doubles to Bethany Noonan and Brenna Sheehan.

Olivia Heling (Fr.-West Bend, Wis.) was a double-winner Sunday, including a 6-3, 6-2 win over MSOE's Way at No. 1 singles. She also paired with Webb for an 8-4 win at No. 2 doubles over Triplett and Yuti Modi, and Blossom also added a 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 victory over Haengsen at No. 2 singles.

The Muskies also received doubles wins at No. 2 and No. 3 flights against St. Norbert, including Heling and Webb edging Paige Diercks and Megan Pankow 8-6 at No. 2 doubles. Babcock and Erbstoesser also earned an 8-5 win at No. 3 doubles against the Green Knights' Olivia MacGillis and Grace McCune.

Lakeland also lost a pair of three-set matches in singles play as well as another that went to a second-set tiebreaker. Heling fell to Hannah Starr 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 at No. 1 singles and Blossom dropped a 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 decision to Emma Merrill at No. 2 singles. Webb also lost to Pankow at No. 3 singles in two close sets, 6-4 and 7-6 with Pankow winning the tiebreaker 7-5.

The Muskies are in action next on Thursday when they face Wisconsin Lutheran College at 4 p.m. at Hart Park in Wauwatosa.