The Emory women’s tennis team remained undefeated with a win over Centre College (Ky.) on Feb. 23. The Eagles won 9-0, sweeping all singles matches in straight sets.
In singles play, Emory handled their opponents with ease and lived up to their No. 2 national ranking. At first and fifth singles, sophomore Ysabel Gonzalez-Rico and Chang, respectively, prevailed with identical scores of 6-0, 6-1. At second singles, Lopez tacked on her first win of the spring season with a score of 6-3, 6-2, while Yoon grabbed a 6-2, 6-0 win. Cartledge added to her doubles victory with a 6-2, 6-1 win at fourth singles, while freshman Christina Watson rounded out the group with a dominant 6-0, 6-0 win at sixth singles.
The doubles teams saw similar success. The Eagles obtained an 8-2 victory from the talented sophomore duo of Katie Chang and Defne Olcay. In addition, senior Daniela Lopez and freshman Emma Cartledge secured an 8-3 win. Freshmen Jessica Fatemi and Lauren Yoon completed the Eagles’ doubles sweep, collecting an 8-1 victory over their opponents.
Sophomore Sasha Hartje expressed optimism about the rest of the season after the team’s performance, saying she was especially proud of the freshmen core for stepping up to the challenge.
“I feel very confident about the season,” Hartje said. “We have a pretty young team, which can be nerve-racking, but I feel as though the freshmen who have come in have really stepped up to the plate and made a difference on our team, both in the locker room and on the court.”
Head Coach Amy Bryant was proud of her team and attributed its early season success to her players’ strong work ethic. She also emphasized the importance of the team’s day-by-day approach.
“I think that the players on the team work really hard and are really committed to improving,” Bryant said. “Our goal is just to focus on everyday and every moment and not to think about what happened in the past or what could happen in the future.”
Emory now stands at 3-0 and will return to action next weekend, March 1, for the National Intercollegiate Tennis Association Indoor Championships at Adams Tennis Center in Nashville, Tenn. The Eagles are looking to win their third consecutive indoor title and will face host Sewanee: The University of the South (Tenn.) in the opening round.
