Emory University Women's Tennis made its return to the NCAA
Quarterfinals during the 2008 season, as the squad once again
proved why it is one of the top programs in the Nation.
During the NCAA team tournament, Emory advanced through the
regional rounds with ease, dispensing both 15th-ranked Washington
University (Mo.) and 19th-ranked Trinity University (Texas) with
perfect 5-0 results. However, the Eagles, seeded fourth in
the tournament, were tripped up in the quarterfinals round by
fifth-seeded Denison University (Ohio), 5-2. The Eagles would
finish the season with a 16-10 record and ranked fifth in the
Intercollegiate Tennis Association's (ITA) final poll.
Emory top-doubles pairing of Tshema Nash and
Sabra Rogers would make a statement in the NCAA
National Doubles Tournament, defeating the top-seeded team in the
first round, and advancing all the way to the semifinals, before
losing to the eventual two-time champions, third-seeded Brittany
Berckes and Alicia Menezes of Amherst College (Mass.). The
two Emory sophomores would finish the season as the top-ranked
doubles team in the Atlantic South Region.
Other regionally-ranked Emory players at the end of the campaign
included Nash, ranked fifth in singles play, freshman Lorne
McManigle, the 10th-ranked singles player, sophomore
Kirsten Hillock, ranked 18th in singles play, and
Rogers, ranked 24th in singles play. The Eagles' doubles
pairing of Hillock and junior Jenny Moscato
finished the year ranked 13th in the region.
The Eagles would claim their 21st-consecutive University Athletic
Association (UAA) Championship during the season, defeating Case
Western Reserve University (Ohio) and the 30th-ranked University of
Chicago (Ill.), before taking home the championship with an 8-1 win
over ninth-ranked Carnegie Mellon University (Pa.) in the final
match. Nash was named the UAA's Most Valuable Player, while
six other Eagles earned all-UAA first team honors for their
performances during the tournament.
Emory would finish the season with a 13-3 record against Division
III opponents, with each of the three losses coming against
opponents ranked in the top-five in the Nation.
The Eagles also made a strong showing during the annual Fall ITA
Regionals, as Emory parlayed home-court advantage into a sweep of
the singles and doubles brackets. Rogers would defeat
classmate Kirsten Hillock in the regional finals of the singles
bracket, while Rogers and newcomer Sara Vrabec
defeated Moscato and freshman Bavana Ketha in the
doubles matches.
The following Eagles earned honors during the 2007-08 season:
| All-America (Intercollegiate Tennis Association) | |||||
|
Sabra Rogers |
Charleston, SC (Bishop England) |
Singles (Fall), Doubles (Fall & Spring) | |||
|
Tshema Nash |
San Marino, CA (Polytechnic) |
Doubles (Spring), Singles (ITA Ranking) | |||
|
Sara Vrabec |
Menasha, WI (St. Mary Central) |
Doubles (Fall) | |||
|
UAA Most Valuable Player | |||||
|
Tshema Nash |
San Marino, CA (Polytechnic) | ||||
|
UAA Coaching Staff of the Year | |||||
|
Amy Bryant |
Head Coach | ||||
|
Meredith Vincent |
Assistant Coach | ||||
|
All-Conference (University Athletic Association) | |||||
|
First Team |
Tshema Nash |
San Marino, CA (Polytechnic) |
No. 1 Singles, No. 1 Doubles | ||
|
First Team |
Kirsten Hillock |
Willowbrook, IL (Hinsdale Cen.) |
No. 3 Singles | ||
|
First Team |
Leah Seyburn |
Roslyn, NY (Roslyn) |
No. 4 Singles | ||
|
First Team |
Sara Vrabec |
Menasha, WI (St. Mary Central) |
No. 5 Singles, No. 3 Doubles | ||
|
First Team |
Jenny Moscato |
Las Cruces, NM (Mayfield) |
No. 6 Singles | ||
|
First Team |
Sabra Rogers |
Charleston, SC (Bishop England) |
No. 1 Doubles | ||
|
First Team |
Lorne McManigle |
Rockville, MD (Stone Ridge) |
No. 3 Doubles | ||
| Team Awards | |
|---|---|
| Most Valuable Player | Kirsten Hillock |
| Most Improved | Sara Vrabec |
| Sportsmanship | Bavana Ketha |
| Rookie of the Year | Lorne McManigle |
| Coach's Award | Sara Vrabec |