The top-ranked Emory University women’s tennis team battled tough against the ninth-ranked NCAA Division II squad, but fell just short against the Clayton State Lakers, losing 5-4 in Morrow, GA.

The Eagles faced an early deficit after dropping two of the three doubles matches to the Lakers.  Emory’s lone win came in the third doubles match, where Zahra Dawson and Taylor Brandt defeated Martina Dedaj and Jessica Budd 8-2.  In the first doubles match, Gabrielle Clark and Lorne McManigle forced a tiebreaker against Viktoria Semyrodenko and Ivana Krommelova, but eventually fell 9-8 (3).  Malavika Padmanabhan and Brenna Kelly dropped an 8-1 decision to Katie White and Marie Cercelletti in the second doubles match.

In singles play, Emory received wins from Dawson in the third singles match, 6-0, 6-2 over Krommelova, Laura Callava in the fifth singles match, 6-0, 5-7, 6-0 over Charlotte Fabricius, and from Lindsay Reidenbach in the sixth singles match, 6-4, 7-5 over Jessica Budd.  However, Clark fell 6-4, 7-6 (1) to Semyrodenko in the first singles match, McManigle dropped a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 decision to White in second singles, and Padmanabhan lost to Cercelltti 7-5, 7-5 in fourth singles.  The 3-3 split of the singles matches gave the Lakers the team victory.

Emory dropped to 15-4 on the season with the loss, while Clayton State improved to 12-6 with the victory.  The Eagles will return home on Tuesday to host the University of the South (Sewanee) at 3:00 PM.