The third-ranked Emory University Women's Tennis team upset the top-ranked program in Division III on Saturday morning at the Woodruff Physical Education Center, upending previously undefeated Johns Hopkins University, 7-2.
It marked the Eagles third-consecutive win in matches against top-ranked opponents, after Emory earned a pair of wins against no. 1 opponents last year, defeating Hopkins 6-3 on March 24th and Amherst College 5-4 on May 22nd. The Eagles remained undefeated in their nine matches against Division III opposition this year, improving to 15-2 overall. The Blue Jays absorbed their first loss of the campaign, falling to 11-1.
Emory Head Coach Amy Bryant shook up her doubles lineups for Saturday's match, and got immediate results, with the Eagles winning the first two matches to be decided. The first point of the match was decided at third doubles, where senior Brenna Kelly and freshman Melissa Goodman, playing together in competition for the first time in the spring, defeated Shannon Herndon and Stephanie Rettig, 8-3. At first singles, it was senior Gabrielle Clark and freshman Michelle Satterfield, paired together for the first time ever in a match, who defeated Hailey Hogan and Sydney Lehman (the third-ranked pairing in the Atlantic South Region) 8-5.
The doubles win was the 98th of Clark's career, putting her just seven shy of Zahra Dawson's school record of 105 doubles victories.
Johns Hopkins was able to salvage a doubles point by winning a tight contest at second doubles. The Blue Jays pairing of Elaine Baik and Mikey Barthelmass picked up a 9-8 (4) win over Emory sophomores Beatrice Rosen and Madison Gordon in the match, putting the team score at 2-1 heading into the singles matches.
Clark, the region's top-ranked player, delivered the first victory for the Eagles with a win at no. 1 singles, 6-1, 6-2, over third-ranked Amanda Austi. Emory freshman Katarina Su put the Eagles within a point of clinching the team victory with a 6-0, 6-3 win over Herndon at sixth singles, and Satterfield, ranked seventh, secured the win with a 6-4, 6-3 win over 22nd-ranked Ashnaa Rao at third singles.
With the team winner decided, Goodman, ranked 14th in the region, increased the Eagles' lead to 6-2 with a 7-5, 6-2 victory over Hogan at fourth singles. After fifth-ranked Lehman captured the Blue Jays' only singles victory of the day, defeating Rosen 6-4, 6-4 at no. 2 singles, Gordon closed out the match with a 6-4, 6-3 win at fifth singles over 23rd-ranked Baik.
Satterfield became the first Eagle to reach 20 wins in singles play for the year, improving to 20-6 overall. Su raised her singles record to 18-1 overall for the 2013-14 campaign, and remained undefeated during the spring campaign with a 10-0 record.
Saturday also marked 'Senior Day' for the Eagles, as Emory honored its two graduating players – Clark and Kelly – prior to the start of the match. Together, the co-captains have helped the Eagles to a 75-18 record in dual matches over the past four season, leading the squad to three-straight top-three finishes at the NCAA Division III Championships.
The Eagles will turn their attention towards three big matchups in Brunswick, Maine next weekend, as Emory will face eighth-ranked Middlebury College on Friday at noon, fourth-ranked Amherst on Saturday at 9:30 AM, and seventh-ranked Bowdoin College on Sunday at 9:30 AM.
