Third-ranked and top-seeded Emory University claimed the team
title at the ITA NCAA Division III Women's Indoor
Championships for the second-consecutive year, edging fourth-ranked
and second-seeded University of Chicago, 5-4, in St. Peter, MN.
With the score tied 4-4, junior Laura Callava, in
the lineup for the first time this season, won the sixth-singles
match in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2, over Chicago's Aswini
Krishnan, clinching the team victory for the Eagles.
The Eagles jumped out to an early 1-0 lead behind a
winning effort from freshmen Malavika Padmanabhan
and Brenna Kelly in the third doubles match, as the duo earned an
8-2 win over Aswini Krishnan and Jennifer Kung. However,
freshman Gabrielle Clark and sophomore
Jordan Wylie fell 8-4 to Kendra Higgins and
Chrissy Hu (ranked first in the Central Region) in the first
doubles match, and senior Lorne McManigle and
junior Zahra Dawson dropped a nail biter, 9-7, to
Linden Li and Carmen Vaca Guzman (ranked second in the region) in
the second doubles match, giving Chicago a 2-1 lead heading into
singles play.
The Eagles and the Maroons would split the first two singles
matches, with Emory's Clark claiming a 6-1, 6-0 win over
Higgins (ranked third in the Central Region) in the first singles
match, and Wylie losing 6-2, 6-3 to Kung (regionally second-ranked)
in the second singles contest.
McManigle would even the score at three apiece, defeating Vaca
Guzman 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-2 in the third singles match. The
teams would split the next two matches, as Padmanabhan defeated Hu
6-4, 6-2 in the fifth-singles contest, giving the Eagles a
short-lived lead, before Dawson fell to Li in the fourth-singles
match, 6-3, 1-6, 7-5, setting up Callava's heroics.
Emory improved to 6-2 overall with the win. The loss was the
first of the season for Chicago, which dropped to 6-1 in
2011.
Emory will have next week off from competition for Spring
Break, before returning home to the Woodruff P.E. Center on
Tuesday, March 15th to face Denison University, the
fifth-ranked NCAA Division III team.
