From Emory University Athletics

The Emory University Women's Tennis Team will enter the 2014 NCAA Division III Championships as the top-ranked squad in the country, after the Eagles rose to the top spot in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division III Women's Tennis National Poll, released on Thursday.

The Eagles stand at 23-2 this season, with the team's only two losses coming to Barry University (ranked first in Division II) and Lynn University (ranked fourth in Division II).  Emory has won 11-straight matches, and is a perfect 15-0 against Division III opponents this season, including a 9-0 mark against teams ranked in the top-30 in the latest national poll.

Emory has five wins this season against teams ranked in the top-10 in the poll, with victories over second-ranked Amherst (8-1), fourth-ranked Johns Hopkins (7-2), seventh-ranked Bowdoin (5-4), eighth-ranked Carnegie Mellon (8-1) and 10^th-ranked Middlebury (9-0).  In addition to Emory, Amherst and Johns Hopkins, third-ranked Williams and fifth-ranked Claremont-Mudd-Scripps round out the top-five squads.

The Eagles move in the rankings was precipitated by a clean-sweep of the University Athletic Association (UAA) Championships last weekend.  In addition, Amherst (then ranked third) defeated Williams (previously ranked first) 7-2 last Saturday, ousting the Ephs from the top-spot.  It marked the first time that the Eagles have been the top-ranked team in Division III since March 31^st, 2011.

Regional rankings were also released by the ITA on Thursday, with the Eagles holding on to the top-spot in the Atlantic South Region for the second-straight poll.  Senior Gabrielle Clark remained the top-ranked singles player in the region, while sophomore Beatrice Rosen checked in at ninth, while freshman Michelle Satterfield was close behind at 11^th.  In the regional doubles rankings, Satterfield and Clark were ranked second in the Atlantic South, and Rosen and junior Rebecca Siegler were 10^th.