From Emory University Athletics
The No. 1-ranked Emory women's tennis team captured the program's sixth national title this evening, defeating No. 2 Amherst in the finals of the NCAA Division III Championships in Claremont, California. The Eagles captured their 16th consecutive match and upped their record to 28-2 following a 5-1 decision over the Jeffs who closed out their season at 22-4.
The title is the first for the Eagles since 2006 and joins the
1996, 2003, 2004 and 2005 squads as other Emory teams to win
national crowns. Emory's 28 victories represented a school
season record and it fashioned a perfect 20-0 won-lost slate
against Division III foes during the year.
Emory held a 2-1 lead after the doubles portion of the match with
its No. 2 team of sophomore Bea Rosen and junior Rebecca
Siegler quickly dispatching the Lord Jeffs' tandem of Jen
Newman and Zoe Pangalos, 8-1. Shortly after, the Eagles
extended their advantage to 2-0 when the No. 3 tandem of
senior Brenna Kelly and freshman Katarina
Su dominated Safi Aly and Sarah Monteagudo, 8-3, for their
eighth win in 10 decisions this year. Amherst got on the
board at first doubles when Jordan Brewer and Gabby Devlin handed
senior Gabrielle Clark and freshman Michelle
Satterfield just their second setback in 14 outings, holding
on for an 8-5 victory after leading at one point in the match by a
7-2 count.
Freshman Melissa Goodman accounted for the first of the
three singles points that Emory needed to clinch the match, coming
through with a methodical 6-1, 6-2, triumph over Sue Ghosh, at No.
4, her 23rd victory against nine defeats on the
season. Clark boosted Emory to a 4-1 lead, and just one point
shy of the title, after battling to a 6-1, 6-4, outcome against
Brewer at the No. 1 spot. Freshman Katarina Su then closed
out the contest and nailed down the championship at six singles
with a 6-2, 6-3, win over Monteagudo, her
26th-straight singles win, and 28th in
29 outings this year. The Nos. 2, 3 and 5 singles
matches were in process when Su's match ended, and go in the books
as unfinished.