Four members of the Emory University women's tennis team were honored by the University Athletic Association Monday morning as the conference announced its 2021-22 All-UAA teams.
Freshman Eliza McPherron was the lone member of the singles lineup on the First Team with senior Christina Watson and sophomore Ana Cristina Perez representing the Eagles' doubles squads with a First Team nod. Watson as well as junior Stephanie Shulman each secured Second Team acclaim for their efforts this season in singles while Perez was named the conference's Sophomore Rookie of the Year to go along with an honorable mention selection in singles.
McPherron makes her first All-UAA selection as she currently tops the team with 21 singles victories in 32 matches. After winning the ITA Division III singles national championship in the fall, McPherron has posted a 7-8 record in the spring, going 6-7 at the No. 1 position. She claimed a three-set victory at the No. 2 spot in the UAA semifinals against Carnegie Mellon to help the Eagles advance to the UAA title match and will represent Emory at the NCAA Individual Championships next week as she was one of 32 players chosen to the singles draw.
The Watson and Perez combo was formed at the beginning of the spring and promptly became Emory's top doubles duo, posting a 13-4 record with nine wins coming on the No. 1 line after going 4-0 on the No. 2 line to begin the spring slate. They went 2-1 across three matches at the UAA Championships and collected two wins in the opening rounds of the NCAA Championships as Emory swept Piedmont and Sewanee to advance to the NCAA Quarterfinals. They will join McPherron at the NCAA Individual Championships next week as they were one of 16 doubles teams announced in the draw.
Watson and Shulman added Second Team honors after carrying the Eagles at No. 3 and No. 4 singles positions. Watson earns her third career All-UAA honor in singles, currently repping a 14-11 overall record and a 6-2 mark at the third spot. For Shulman, this represents her first-ever All-UAA selection as she is tied for second on the team with 14 singles wins and has been a force at the No. 4 spot, going 6-2 and has three wins during the UAA and NCAA Championships including the match clincher this past weekend against Piedmont.
Perez rounds out the Emory selections as she was tabbed the conference's Sophomore Rookie of the Year as well as an Honorable Mention pick for singles. She is tied for second on the team with 14 singles wins this season and has gone 8-7 in the spring with five wins coming at the No. 5 position. She is in the midst of a three-match winning streak and most recently earned the match-clinching win against Sewanee in the regional final. To go along with her singles play, Perez has 17 doubles wins on the year with 13 coming with Watson this spring.
The Eagles, who advanced to their 14th straight NCAA Quarterfinals, will take on Wesleyan (CT) next Monday, May 23 in Orlando, FL.