SMU defeated Sam Houston 7-0 in Dallas Friday evening but the Bearkats gave several strong performances in the match.

Caitlyn Mitchell took the Mustangs' Macie Elliott to a tiebreaker in the second set of the number six singles before falling 6-4 7-6 after 7-5 tiebreaker. Mattie Mortimore lost 7-5 7-5 to Mary Wright in the number five singles. Vana Erkeeva won 7-5 6-4 over Ema Barkovich at number three.

Carrie Casey lost to Lisa Bulgakova 6-3 7-5 in the number two singles. Fabienne Gettwart lost to Hirstina Dishkova 6-2 6-0 in the number one match. Ana Perez-Lopex defeated Mila Milanovic 6-1 6-2 at number four.

Bulgakova and Dishkova edged Casey and Milanovich 7-5 in the number one match and Erkeeva and Perez-Lopez defeated Gettwart and Mitchell 6-1 to give SMU the doubles point. Barkovich and Mortimore were tied 5-5 in the number two doubles when doubles play was stopped after the Mustangs earned the point.

“The matches were very close,” Sam Houston head coach Jim Giachino said. “I was proud of a good fight.”

Sam Houston is now 2-2 for the season.

"We've never played as well as we did today against a very tough team," Bearkat assistant coach Olivia Battye said. "The girls had lots of chances, some of which slipped through their fingers. It was one more step in the right direction. We can take the positives of today into the match tomorrow."

The Bearkats play Montana State at 11 a.m. Saturday at the SMU Tennis Center.