Third-ranked and top-seeded Emory University claimed the team title at the ITA NCAA Division III Women’s Indoor Championships for the second-consecutive year, edging fourth-ranked and second-seeded University of Chicago, 5-4, in St. Peter, MN.

With the score tied 4-4, junior Laura Callava, in the lineup for the first time this season, won the sixth-singles match in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2, over Chicago’s Aswini Krishnan, clinching the team victory for the Eagles.

The Eagles jumped out to an early 1-0 lead behind a winning effort from freshmen Malavika Padmanabhan and Brenna Kelly in the third doubles match, as the duo earned an 8-2 win over Aswini Krishnan and Jennifer Kung.  However, freshman Gabrielle Clark and sophomore Jordan Wylie fell 8-4 to Kendra Higgins and Chrissy Hu (ranked first in the Central Region) in the first doubles match, and senior Lorne McManigle and junior Zahra Dawson dropped a nail biter, 9-7, to Linden Li and Carmen Vaca Guzman (ranked second in the region) in the second doubles match, giving Chicago a 2-1 lead heading into singles play.

The Eagles and the Maroons would split the first two singles matches, with Emory’s Clark claiming a 6-1, 6-0 win over Higgins (ranked third in the Central Region) in the first singles match, and Wylie losing 6-2, 6-3 to Kung (regionally second-ranked) in the second singles contest.

McManigle would even the score at three apiece, defeating Vaca Guzman 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-2 in the third singles match.  The teams would split the next two matches, as Padmanabhan defeated Hu 6-4, 6-2 in the fifth-singles contest, giving the Eagles a short-lived lead, before Dawson fell to Li in the fourth-singles match, 6-3, 1-6, 7-5, setting up Callava’s heroics.

Emory improved to 6-2 overall with the win.  The loss was the first of the season for Chicago, which dropped to 6-1 in  2011.

Emory will have next week off from competition for Spring Break, before returning home to the Woodruff P.E. Center on Tuesday, March 15^th to face Denison University, the fifth-ranked NCAA Division III team.