Emory University junior Gabrielle Clark and freshman Emma Taylor won both of their doubles matches on Friday afternoon to claim the NCAA Division III Championship at the ITA Small College Nationals, and advance to the 'Super Bowl' on Saturday. In addition, Clark claimed a victory in the semifinals of the singles draw, and will play for the NCAA Division III singles title on Saturday as well.
Clark and Taylor, the draw's top-seeded duo, opened the day with a hard-fought three-set victory over the fourth-seeded pair of Rebecca Curran and Kara Shoemaker of Williams College, winning 6-7(4), 6-4, 10-8. The Eagles' doubles team followed that with a straight-set 6-1, 6-2 win over unseeded Meghan Buell and Claire Cahill of Washington and Lee University in the championship match to claim the doubles title.
By virtue of winning the championship, Clark and Taylor will join the winners of the Division II, NAIA and Junior College draws in the 'Super Bowl' draw, starting on Saturday. The semifinal doubles match is slated to begin at 3:00 PM CT.
Clark and Taylor became the third doubles team in the history of the Emory women's program to reach the ITA Super Bowl. Mary Ellen Gordon and Jolyn Taylor advanced in 2002, while Clark teamed with Zahra Dawson last season to claim the honor. Both previous Emory doubles teams finished third in the 'Super Bowl' draw.
In singles action, Clark, the top-seeded player, defeated fourth-seeded Meghan Buell of Washington and Lee University in straight sets, winning 6-2, 6-0 to advance to the championship match of the singles draw. The junior improved to 9-1 in singles matches this season, and has dropped just three games through the first two matches of the tournament.
In the championship match, set for 8:30 AM CT on Saturday, Clark will face Lok-Sze Leung of Middlebury College, who earned a 6-3, 6-1 win over third-seeded Brittini Fausett of Mary-Hardin Baylor in the other semifinal match. This will be the third-straight major Division III tournament that Clark and Leung will play each other in the title match. Leung bested Clark 6-3, 6-2 at last year's ITA Small College Championships, while Clark earned revenge with a 6-2, 7-6 (1) win in the 2012 NCAA Division III Championship match.
The winner of the Division III singles draw will advance to the 'Super Bowl' on Saturday, where she will take on the winners of the Division II, NAIA and Junior College draws. The first round of the 'Super Bowl' singles draw is slated for a 1:00 PM CT start on Saturday, with the final at 10:00 AM CT on Sunday.
Emory has not had a singles participant reach the 'Super Bowl' since 2003, when former Eagle Jolyn Taylor finished tied for third. Mary Ellen Gordon is the only other player in the program's history to win the Division III singles draw at the ITA Small College Nationals, doing so in both 2000 and 2002.