With a solid veteran core featuring NCAA Division III Singles
Champion Lorne McManigle, supplemented by an
infusion of talented young players, the Emory University women's
tennis team remained one of the top programs in Division III in
2009, finishing third in the Nation at the NCAA Division III Team
Championships.
Emory defeated Agnes Scott College, Washington and Lee University,
and Pomona-Pitzer College in the NCAA Tournament, before falling to
the eventual champions, Williams College, in the semifinal
round. The Eagles would later defeat the University of
Chicago, 5-1, to clinch third-place in the Nation.
McManigle, a sophomore, would experience no such defeat in the
singles championship. Entering the field as the fifth-ranked
player in the bracket, she would win all five of her tournament
matches, including a 6-2, 6-1 win over the College of St.
Scholastica's Ploy Suthajindawong in the title match to become the
second individual champion in the program's history.
Earlier in the season, Emory won its 22nd-consecutive
conference title in a highly-competitive University Athletic
Association (UAA) Tournament, which featured three of the top-six
teams in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's (ITA) final
rankings. The Eagles defeated New York University 9-0 in the
first round, followed by 5-4 victories over the fifth-ranked
University of Chicago and third-ranked Carnegie Mellon University
to earn the title. Freshman Zahra Dawson,
sophomore Lindsay Reidenbach, and McManigle all
earned nods to the all-UAA first team.
The Eagles finished the season with a 22-5 record, including a mark
of 19-3 against other Division III opponents. The Eagles went
undefeated at the Fab Five Tournament (hosted by Emory) in March,
and finished second at the ITA Division III Indoor
Championships.
In the fall, McManigle won the ITA Fall Regional singles
tournament, and finished sixth at the ITA National Small College
Championships. McManigle teamed with junior Sabra
Rogers to win the ITA Fall Regional doubles tournament, as
the pair finished seventh at the Small College Championships.
After the season, Emory named 20-match winners Lorne McManigle
(25-10) and Lindsay Reidenbach (24-4) its co-Most Valuable
Players. Zahra Dawson earned Rookie of the Year honors after
going 23-9 in singles play.
The following Eagles earned honors during the 2008-09 season:
NCAA Division III National Champion | |||
Lorne McManigle |
Rockville, MD (Stone Ridge) | ||
All-America (Intercollegiate Tennis Association) | |||
Zahra Dawson |
Ft. Washington, MD (Maret) |
Singles (Spring) | |
Lorne McManigle |
Rockville, MD (Stone Ridge) |
Singles (Fall & Spring), Doubles (Fall) | |
Tshema Nash |
San Marino, CA (Polytechnic) |
Doubles (Spring) | |
Sabra Rogers |
Charleston, SC (Bishop England) |
Doubles (Fall & Spring) | |
Honda Division III Women's Collegiate Athlete of the Year Nominee | |||
Lorne McManigle |
Rockville, MD (Stone Ridge) | ||
Regional Assistant Coach of the Year (ITA) | |||
Meredith Vincent | |||
All-University Athletic Association | |||
Zahra Dawson |
Ft. Washington, MD (Maret) |
No. 2 Singles, No. 2 Doubles |
First Team |
Lorne McManigle |
Rockville, MD (Stone Ridge) |
No. 2 Doubles |
First Team |
Lindsay Reidenbach |
Ponte Vedra, FL (The Bolles School) |
No. 4 Singles |
First Team |
Tshema Nash |
San Marino, CA (Polytechnic) |
No. 3 Singles |
Second Team |
Daniela Schechter |
Corpus Christi, TX (W.B. Ray) |
No. 5 Singles |
Second Team |
Team Awards | |||
Co-Most Valuable Players |
Lorne McManigle | ||
Lindsay Reidenbach | |||
Rookie of the Year |
Zahra Dawson | ||
Most Improved |
Daniela Schechter | ||
Coach's Award |
Laura Callava | ||
Sportsmanship |
Tshema Nash | ||
Academic Award |
Kelsey Krzyston, Lorne McManigle, Sara Vrabec, Emily Wein | ||
20-Match Winners |
Zahra Dawson, Lorne McManigle, Lindsay Reidenbach |