A tornado might have swept Dorothy away to the Land of Oz, but strong winds were not enough to budge the women's tennis team as it dominated the competition at the Southern Invitational, hosted by Rhodes College (Tenn.) this weekend.
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| Nathaniel J. Clark/Photo Editor |
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Freshman Emily Warburg battled strong winds and low temperatures to capture a three-set win against Rhodes College (Tenn.) Saturday.
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Despite the unseasonably cold and windy weather, the Eagles (9-6) plowed through Meredith College (N.C.) and Rhodes, dropping only two sets in the pair of 9-0 shutouts.
The Eagles encountered few problems with solid efforts from seniors Rebecca Loveman and Tracy Shub, and freshmen Emily Warburg and Nadine Khattak.
Head Coach Amy Smith saw the performance she had hoped for from the players as the end of the season nears.
"We did as well as we expected to this weekend," Smith said. "Everyone went out with the right mindset and played their best."
Although the Eagles posted a 9-0 victory against Rhodes earlier this season, harsh weather conditions forced the players to alter their mentalities as they warmed up Saturday.
"The wind made it difficult to put balls away," senior No. 1 Julie Sterner said. "It forced us to be more patient on the court."
The Eagles' doubles squads got off to a slow start, but held on to gain a 3-0 lead. Sterner and Warburg tallied an 8-5 win at No. 1, while Alexa Wilensky and Erin Terrell had few problems at No. 2 doubles, winning 8-2.
Loveman and Shub fought through a tiebreaker in the 9-8 (7-1) victory at the No. 3 match. The Eagles' top three singles struggled slightly in the cold weather, but managed to sweep the trio of matches.
Sterner was victorious at the top spot 6-4, 7-5, while No. 2 Warburg fought back from losing the second set to take the victory, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.
Filling in for an ill Shub, Khattak fared well at No. 3 singles, dropping the first set, but coming back to take the second. An injury early in the third set forced Rhodes' Kathryn Baker to retire from the match, giving Khattak the 4-6, 6-2, 1-0 win.
The Eagles found little resistance as they quickly dismantled Meredith's lineup Friday afternoon, speeding to a 9-0 victory without dropping a set.
Loveman and Shub led the Eagles' tandem teams as they breezed through their 8-1 victory at third doubles. Sterner and Warburg earned an 8-3 win at first doubles, while Wilensky and Terrell cleaned up at second doubles, 8-4.
Shub and Sterner set the tone for Emory's singles lineup, blasting through the competition. Sterner grabbed an easy 6-1, 6-2 win at No. 1 spot, while No. 3 Shub powered her way to a 6-1, 6-2 victory. Freshman Julia Jacobs came away with a 6-2, 6-0 win at No. 5.
"The tournament was a good opportunity to work on other aspects of the game that we haven't had a chance to work on," Smith said.
