2019 ITA National Indoor Championships Website
The No. 4-ranked Emory University men's tennis team heads to Cleveland, Ohio, this weekend (Feb. 22-24) to compete in the 2019 ITA National Indoor Championships. Serving as the host of the Championships will be Case Western Reserve, with matches taking place at the Cleveland Racquet Club and the Mayfield Village Racquet.
The Eagles of head coach John Browning aim to defend their 2018 National Indoor Championship (defeated Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in last season's title match, 5-4) as the No. 2 seed. Last year's title represented an ITA Indoor record of three straight crowns.
Overall, Emory has enjoyed success at the National Indoor Championships with eight titles (2018, 2017, 2016, 2012, 2011, 2009, 2005, 2004) in the 18-year history of the tournament.
This year's field is stacked with talent as all eight teams are ranked among the top 18-D-III squads, including five that find themselves in the top 10. In addition to Emory, other top-10 programs making their way to Cleveland include No. 3 Chicago, No. 8 Gustavus Adolphus, No. 9 Washington University and No. 10 Carnegie Mellon. Both Emory and Chicago advanced to the semifinal round of the 2018 NCAA Championships.
Emory will battle No. 7 seed and 13th-ranked Whitman College in its opening match on Friday starting at 11:30 am. The winner will advance to the semifinals on Saturday to meet either No. 3 Gustavus Adolphus or No. 6 seed and 12th-ranked Pomona-Pitzer. The championship match is slated for Sunday at noon.
Other Friday match-ups include No. 4 seed Washington University vs. No. 5 seed Carnegie Mellon and No. 1 seed Chicago squaring off with No. 8 seed Case Western (#18 nationally).
Emory stands 2-1 entering the ITA National Indoors after defeating Point University, 8-1, and Union (KY), 9-0, before coming out on the short end of a 5-4 decision to Georgia Gwinnett.
Many of the top players in NCAA Division III will take part in this year's tournament, including four of the top 10 ranked singles competitors. Top-ranked players in singles include Emory's Jonathan Jemison (No. 3), Ethan Hillis (No. 6) of Washington University, Chaz Downing (No. 7) of Carnegie Mellon, Daniel Levine (No. 9) of Carnegie Mellon and Pomona-Pitzer's Jed Kronenberg (No. 10).