NORMAL, Ill. – Southeast Missouri women's tennis (2-4) fell to Toledo (6-1), 3-4, Saturday in its Redbird Invitational First Round matchup at the Bloomington Tennis Center. Southeast will meet Creighton Sunday in the third place match at 9 a.m. 
 
The Redhawks won the doubles point in their fourth consecutive meet to open the dual with the Rockets.
 
After Dee Dee Leenabanchong and Kokoro Chishaki took the first doubles match, 6-3, on Kseniya Zonova and Sneha Sinha, Southeast rallied back-to-back doubles victories at the third and second slots.
 
Romana Tarajova and Manuela Barriga overcame Christina Fuller and Claire Aleck, 6-2, and Isabella Krupa and Teona Velkoska earned their third straight doubles dual win, 6-2, on Kiersten Carlson and Eileen Carney.
 
Anais Emelie extended the Redhawks lead in the dual to 2-0 when she cruised past Claire Aleck, 6-0, 6-3, at no. 5 singles. The singles dual victory marked the first for Emelie during the 2019 campaign. 
 
Toledo responded with wins at the fourth and third positions to even the meet at 2-2. Fuller beat Teona Velkoska, 6-1, 0-6, 6-3, and Chishaki defeated Krupa, 6-4, 6-4.
 
Tarajova then captured her team-best fourth dual victory of the season when she outlasted Leenabanchong, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.
 
The Rockets notched wins at the second and sixth slots to seal the dual win and advance to the Redbird Invitational Championship against tournament host Illinois State Sunday at 12:30 p.m.
 
Carney fought past Zonova, 7-5, 2-6, 6-3, at no. 2 singles before Thalita Rodrigues beat Sinha, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.
 
Southeast next faces Creighton Sunday in the third place match at 9 a.m. at the Bloomington Tennis Center. The Redhawks then take on Bradley at the McCracken County High School Tennis Indoor Facility in Paducah, Kentucky, on Saturday, March 2 at 8:30 a.m.