The Emory University women's tennis team's consecutive-conference championship streak came to a close on Sunday afternoon, as the fourth-ranked Eagles fell 5-3 to the third-ranked Maroons of the University of Chicago in the University Athletic Association (UAA) Championship match.
For the third-consecutive day, the matches at the tournament were moved indoors. With the singles matches being played first, Emory picked up a victory from Sara Vrabec in the sixth-singles match, 6-2, 6-4, as the senior improved to a perfect 17-0 this spring. Also scoring in the singles matches for Emory was fifth-singles player Lindsay Reidenbach, who earned a come from behind 2-6, 7-5, 6-0 win over her counterpart.
However, Emory would drop each of the other four singles matches to enter doubles play trailing 4-2.
Emory's second-doubles pairing of senior all-Americans Tshema Nash and Sabra Rogers got the Eagles off to a good start in doubles action, winning their match 8-1. With Emory needing victories in each of the final two doubles matches to avoid defeat, Chicago earned a victory over Emory's pair of Jordan Wylie and Vrabec in the third doubles match to clinch the conference championship. The first doubles match was left unfinished.
The Eagles entered the 2010 UAA Championships with a win in every previous conference tournament, a streak dating back to the 1988 season. However, Emory's 22 consecutive years atop the conference standings ended with Sunday's loss.
The loss is just Emory's third this season to a Division III opponent, all three of which (Chicago, Williams College and Washington and Lee University) are currently ranked in the top-six nationally. Emory fell to 17-5 on the season, while Chicago raised its record to 20-3.
Emory will have the next two weeks off, before the Eagles will try to bounce back from the loss in their final match of the regular season on May 2nd at home against Brenau University.