RIPON, Wis. – Mary Blossom (Fr.-Farmington Hills, Mich.) won a three-set thriller for the deciding point to give the Lakeland University women's tennis team its first dual win of the season with a 5-4 victory over Ripon College Tuesday evening.

Blossom bounced back from losing the first set for a 3-6, 7-5, 12-10 victory at No. 3 singles for her first collegiate singles win. The victory also came in the last match to finish, giving the Muskies (1-1 overall) their first win over the Red Hawks since 2013.

Blossom was part of a freshman contingent that made hay against Ripon (1-3 overall). Lakeland's three singles wins at the top three flights all came from freshmen, and the first-years also were part of both Muskies' doubles wins.

Blossom, Olivia Heling (West Bend, Wis.) and Kassidee Webb (Fr.-Castroville, Texas) all were double winners, including Heling improving to 2-0 this season at No. 1 singles with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Allison Larsen. Webb also defeated Tamera Holland 6-4, 6-4 at No. 2 singles, and Heling and Webb also edged Larson and Hadley Berendsen 8-6 at No. 1 singles.

Blossom also teamed up with Sadie Conway (Jr.-Monroe, Wis.) for a win at No. 2 doubles, defeating Holland and Allison Pavlovec 8-4. Conway also nearly won the first set against Pavlovec at No. 5 singles before falling 6-4, 6-0.

Lakeland now gets ready to open its Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference schedule starting against Edgewood College Saturday at 10 a.m. at Sports Core in Kohler.