The Emory University Women's Tennis team's four-match winning streak came to an end on Sunday afternoon, as the fourth-ranked Eagles fell 6-3 to fifth-ranked Williams College in Williamsport, Massachusetts.
Emory escaped doubles play with one point, when freshman Emma Taylor and junior Brenna Kelly defeated Nancy Worley and Veranika Li 9-7 in the third doubles match. The Eagles almost claimed a lead in the match, but junior Gabrielle Clark and freshman Annette Sullivan were edged by Kara Shoemaker and Rebecca Curran in a tiebreaker in the first singles match, 9-8 (1). In the second doubles match, senior Jordan Wylie and freshman Madison Gordon were defeated 8-4 by Kathleen Elkins and Maria Pylypiv.
Trailing 2-1 entering singles play, the Eagles were strong at the top of the lineup. At first singles, Clark defeated Shoemaker in straight sets, 6-0, 6-4, and freshman Beatrice Rosen followed with a 7-5, 6-2 win at second singles over Curran.
However, Emory would drop the other four singles matches. Playing at third singles, freshman Marissa Levine dropped a 6-3, 6-0 decision to Elkins, while Gordon lost in three sets, 4-6, 7-6 (5), 7-5 to Worley at fourth singles. In the fifth-singles match, Pylpiv bested Kelly 6-2, 6-1, and freshman Stephanie Loutsenko lost 6-1, 6-4 to Alex Stone at sixth singles.
The loss ended a four match winning streak for the Eagles, who fell to 10-4 on the season. It was just the team's second loss of the season to a Division III opponent, the other coming against currently top-ranked Amherst. Williams, the five-top reigning NCAA Champion, improved to 11-3 on the year with the win.
The Eagles will now turn their attention towards conference play, as, after a three-week hiatus, Emory will head to Altamonte Springs, Florida for the 2013 University Athletic Association (UAA) Championships, starting on Thursday, April 25th.
