CLAREMONT, Calif. - It was a new year, but unfortunately for the Whitworth women's tennis team, the results were the same. The Pirates fell 5-0 to Texas-Tyler in the first round on the NCAA Division III women's tennis tournament on Thursday afternoon at Pomona-Pitzer.

Whitworth, making its second consecutive appearance in the NCAA Division III tournament, finishes its season with a 19-4 record. The Bucs' ended the 2009 season against UTT in the first round of the NCAA tournament as well.

The Patriots jumped to a 3-0 led after doubles. Rachel Burns and Katie Staudinger played the closest match, losing 8-6 at #2 doubles. UTT's #1 team of Ashley Albro and Michelle Hagler defeated Ali Marshall and Erica Bosman 8-1. Mya Towne and Megan Wingfield fell to Heather Harmon and Lauren Nielsen 8-3 at third doubles.

Facing such a hole the Pirates had little wiggle room entering singles. Brittany Trich defeated Wingfield 6-2, 6-0 at #6 singles to move the Patriots within a point of the win.

Bosman was doing her best to get the Pirates on the board and led her match 2-6, 6-1, 5-2 with match point. But she was unable to serve for the win because her match was stopped when Lauren Giovannini stopped Staudinger 6-2, 6-4 at #5 singles for the fifth and final point.

Burns dropped the first set at #1 singles before going to a tiebreaker in the second. That tiebreaker was suspended once the match went final. Similarly, Marshall dropped her first set at #2 singles on a tiebreaker and was tied 3-3 in the second when play stopped. Towne had split sets and was down 3-1 in the third.

Texas-Tyler advances to play 7th-ranked Pomona-Pitzer in the second round on Friday.

All six starters are expected to return for the Pirates in 2011.