The Binghamton University women’s tennis team started its season as strongly as it could have hoped. But consecutive losses has put a damper on the team’s momentum.

Binghamton (7-2) began its season with a flurry, opening the spring at 7-0 and achieving a national ranking of 68. However, Friday’s 4-3 loss to the Syracuse Orange (13-2) was the Bearcats’ second straight, dropping the team to 7-2 on the season.

The Orange relied on stronger play than the Bearcats in the middle and bottom of its lineup to achieve victory. Syracuse sophomore Alessondra Parra defeated junior Yulia Smirnova at the third singles spot 7-5, 6-0, while Syracuse junior Christina Tan bested sophomore Marina Bykovskaya 6-1, 6-2 at the fifth position. Orange senior Chelsea Jones was also victorious, defeating Yagmur Gone 6-4, 6-1 at sixth singles. Those wins, with the doubles point as a result of winning two of the three doubles matches contested, gave Syracuse the 4-3 victory.

Despite the loss, Binghamton head coach Mike Stevens was very pleased with the way his team performed.

“The level of play was very good. It was a close match. To be able to go down to the wire with a Big East, fully funded team, shows we are moving in the right direction.”

Binghamton, despite losing, received strong efforts from the top players in its lineup. Top singles player junior Lauren Bates won her singles match against sophomore Emily Harman of Syracuse 6-3, 6-2. Bates needs 20 more wins to tie Zeynep Altinay (2004-2007) with 86 wins as a Bearcat, the most of all time. Junior Anna Edelman achieved a 6-2, 6-3 victory at the second singles spot over junior Eleanor Peters 6-2, 6-3. Edelman was also victorious in her doubles match with Marina Bykovskaya; the pair won 8-4 over Harman and Christina Tan. Sophomore Jillian Santos prevailed at the fourth spot, with a 7-5, 6-2 win over junior Simone Kalhorn.

“Marquette and Syracuse are both very strong teams,” Stevens said of the team’s last two dual matches. “We would rather play tough teams and lose 4-3 than win 7-0 and not learn anything. “

Despite losing 4-3 to the Orange, the Bearcats improved upon the results of last season’s matchup; Binghamton dropped a 6-1 decision to Syracuse last season. Santos was the only player to win a match in last season’s matchup, singles or doubles, with a 7-6, 6-1 over Tan.

With just four more matches until Binghamton opens up its conference schedule on April 10 against UMBC, the Bearcats are eager to avenge their loss to Syracuse and get back in the win column as they prepare for their most important matches of the season.

“We’re 7-2, so we’re still headed in the right direction,” Stevens said.

Binghamton is set to face Villanova, another Big East team, at 1 p.m. Saturday.