The third-ranked Emory University women's tennis team claimed its fourth-straight win over a nationally-ranked opponent, defeating fifth-ranked Denison University 8-1 on Tuesday.

Undeterred by rain that forced the match to the indoor courts at the Woodruff P.E. Center, the Eagles improved to 7-2 on the season with the win, and to 5-0 this season against NCAA Division III opponents.  In its last four matches, Emory has claimed wins against the fourth, fifth, eighth and 15^th-ranked Division III squads.

Emory was dominant in doubles play early on, winning all three matches by an 8-2 score to sweep the pairings for the fourth time this season.  In the first doubles match, senior Lorne McManigle and freshman Gabrielle Clark bested Denison's Kristin Cobb and Erin Chadwell, while junior Zahra Dawson and sophomore Jordan Wylie defeated Jane Lent and Alex Marcell in the second contest.  Rounding out the sweep were Emory freshmen Brenna Kelly and Malavika Padmanabhan in the third doubles match with a victory over Kelsey Geppner and Sarah Short.

The Eagles opened singles play with a pair of straight-set victories, as Clark defeated Cobb 6-4, 6-3 in the first singles match, and Wylie earned a 6-3, 6-3 win over Chadwell in the second.  McManigle needed three sets to defeat Short in the third singles match, 6-2, 5-7, 10-7, while Dawson claimed an 8-5 pro-set win in the fourth singles match.  In the fifth singles match, Padmanabhan won her seventh-consecutive contest with an 8-4 pro-set win over Alex Marcell.

Emory's only loss of the day came in the sixth singles match, where junior Laura Callava fell 6-3, 6-4 to Kate Westenberger.

The Eagles will be back in action on Thursday, March 17^th at 3:00 PM, hosting Murray State University, a NCAA Division I program.