No. 2 Marshall University lost to No. 1 Rice University Sunday 4-1 in the C-USA Women’s Tennis Championships finale.

Marshall’s only point came from sophomore Maddie Silver after she captured a 6-1, 6-2 win in singles play.

The Herd’s Rachel Morales, sophomore, said she thought the team could have done a better job closing out its matches.

“We had five or six courts winning at one point,” Morales said. “They were close matches that we just came up short on. I think because Rice has more experience in this kind of setting, they had the advantage and were able to pull through. We fought as hard as we could and gave it our best shot. Rice was just the better team today.”

Despite the loss, senior Kai Broomfield said she is proud of the way the team competed throughout the tournament and the entire season.

“We played great tennis,” Broomfield said. “I definitely consider this season a success. We beat a lot of really great teams, and was one match away from reaching our goal of winning the conference championship.”

While the rest of the team can look forward to next season’s conference tournament run, Broomfield, the Herd’s only senior, played the last match of her collegiate career against the Owls.

“This was a great way to end my college career,” Broomfield said. “Getting to the finals of conference is an amazing feat and these are the type of experiences that I will remember forever. I really enjoyed playing for Marshall these past four years.”

Broomfield said she expects next year’s team to have an even better season and reach new heights.

“I really believe that next year’s team will get into the NCAA tournament,” Broomfield said. “Each player is talented, has a great work ethic and, most importantly, wants to win.”

Morales said she is excited for the start of next season because of the experience the Herd gained while facing some of the best teams in the country.

“We understand what it takes to beat highly ranked teams now,” Morales said. “Having four juniors next year will show the experience we’ve gained the past two years. Also, everyone on the team has the same goals, and we’re willing to work hard.”

Malcolm Walton can be contacted at [email protected].