ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. -- For the second time in three years, the University of Chicago has captured the University Athletic Association women's tennis title. Sixth-ranked Chicago claimed the 2012 crown with a 5-4 win over No. 2 Emory University Sunday on the final day of the UAA Championship at Sanlando Park.
Chicago (19-4) swept the doubles competition to take a 3-0 lead in the match.
After the Maroons got wins from senior Jennifer Kung (Sunnyvale, Calif./ Homestead) and junior Linden Li (Great Falls, Va./ Langley) at No. 2 (8-5) and from freshmen Kelsey McGillis (Great Falls, Va./ Flint) and Megan Tang (Clayton, Calif./ Clayton Valley) at No. 3 (8-2), seniors Kendra Higgins (Vero Beach, Fla./ Vero Beach) and Carmen VacaGuzman (Wyoming, Mich./ Grandville) outlasted Emory's top duo of Gabrielle Clark and Zahra Dawson 9-7.
Emory (15-5) then won four of the first five singles matches, with the Maroons' lone victory coming from Tang at No. 5 (6-2, 6-4). With the match tied at 4-4, VacaGuzman defeated Dawson at No. 3 when an injury forced Dawson to retire trailing VacaGuzman 4-3 in the third set.
As the UAA regular season champion, Chicago earned an automatic berth in the 2012 NCAA Division III Women's Tennis Championship.
Match by Match Results
Singles
1. Clark, Gabrielle (EUW) def. Kendra Higgins (UCW) 6-4, 4-6, 6-0
2. Wylie, Jordan (EUW) def. Jennifer Kung (UCW) 7-6 (7-1), 6-4
3. Carmen VacaGuzman (UCW) def. Dawson, Zahra (EUW) 4-6, 6-3, 4-3, retired
4. Padmanabhan, Malavik (EUW) def. Linden Li (UCW) 6-3, 7-6 (7-3)
5. Megan Tang (UCW) def. Kelly, Brenna (EUW) 6-2, 6-4
6. Pinsky, Lauren (EUW) def. Kelsey McGillis (UCW) 1-6, 6-3, 7-5
Doubles
1. Higgins/ VacaGuzman (UCW) def. Clark / Dawson (EUW) 9-7
2. Kung/ Li (UCW) def. Kelly/ Padmanabhan (EUW) 8-5
3. McGillis/ Tang (UCW) def. Pinsky/ Wylie (EUW) 8-2
Notes
- Sunday marked the third straight year Chicago and Emory have met in the UAA title match. The Maroons won in 2010 before Emory regained the league banner a year ago.
- NCAA Championship regional play is slated to begin May 10 or 11 with the finals to be held in Cary, N.C., May 21-23. The NCAA will announce the tournament bracket Monday, May 7.
