The third-ranked Emory University women's tennis team
defeated eighth-ranked Carnegie Mellon University, 7-2, on
Saturday, advancing to the finals of the ITA Indoor Championships
for the third-consecutive year.
Emory's third doubles team of freshmen
Malavika Padmanabhan and Brenna
Kelly opened play with a dominating 8-1 victory over
Cza-Ja Tam and Ashley Herrick. In the second-doubles match,
senior Lorne McManigle and junior Zahra
Dawson edged Jennifer Chui and Alexandra Tapak 8-6, giving
Emory a 2-0 lead. The Tartans would get on the board in the
first-doubles match, as regionally fifth-ranked Layra Chen and
Courtney Chin bested the Eagles' freshman Gabrielle
Clark and sophomore Jordan Wylie, 8-4, to
cut Emory's lead to 2-1 at the end of the doubles
matches.
Emory received a quick victory from regionally
10th-ranked McManigle in the third singles match, 6-0,
6-2. After freshman Taylor Brandt suffered a
6-4, 7-5 loss to Madison Rabson in the sixth-singles match, Clark
(regionally-ranked third) upset the Atlantic South Region's
top-ranked singles player, Chen, in the first singles match 6-1,
6-4. Dawson clinched the team victory for the Eagles,
winning her fourth singles match over Tam, 6-1, 6-1.
Adding victories to the Emory tally were Padmanabhan in the fifth
singles match, 6-1, 6-1 over Chui, and regionally eighth-ranked
Wylie in a 6-3, 7-5 upset over regionally fifth-ranked Chin in the
second singles match.
Emory improved to 5-2 on the season with the victory, the
team's fifth straight. The Eagles also remained
undefeated against NCAA Division III opponents this season, with a
3-0 record. The Tartans fell to 7-2 with the loss.
With the win, Emory will advance to the finals of the ITA Indoor
Championships for the third-straight season, as the top-seeded
Eagles will take on second-seeded and nationally third-ranked
University of Chicago. The contest is a rematch of last
year's final match, during which Emory came away with a 6-3
victory over the Maroons.
The championship match is slated for a 10:00 AM EST start on
Sunday, at the Swanson Tennis Center in St. Peter, MN.
