PHOENIX - Midwestern State edged Academy of Arts (Calif.) 5-4 Saturday afternoon in its finale of the Grand Canyon President's Day Duels at Paseo Racquet Club.

The Mustangs, who were without No. 1 Alex Odell-Michels due to illness, improved to 4-2 after claiming a 2-1 advantage in doubles before splitting its singles' matches with the Urban Knights.

The Mustangs claimed a pair 8-5 doubles decisions as Kaja Banas and Faye D'Hamecourt defeated Paola Correa Fe and Cassy Fabianni at No. 1 and Holly Gunderson and Jennifer Wooland beat Cecilia Hedin and Anna Ritchie at No. 3.

The Academy of Arts narrowed the Mustangs lead to won coming out of doubles as Maria Tenorio and Lala Botshoma rolled past Tonya Blair and Collean Kinser 8-3 at No. 2.

The Mustangs rallied for wins at Nos. 4-6 in singles to claim the victory with D'Hamecourt beating Correa Fe 6-2, 6-1 at No. 4, Gunderson surviving Ritchie 6-4, 7-5 at No. 5 and Wooland breezing past Hedin 6-1, 6-2.

MSU dropped the top three singles spots despite a game effort by Kinser at No. 2, who eventually fell to Botshoma in a close match at 6-7, 7-5, 11-9.

Midwestern travels to Lubbock to take on NCAA Division I Texas Tech on Wednesday, Feb. 26.