Regional Champs! Athenas Advance to National Quarterfinals
CLAREMONT, Calif. - For the eighth-straight season, the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's tennis team is one of the final eight teams standing at the end of the season. On a cool and damp Saturday afternoon, the Athenas advanced to the 2018 Women's Tennis National Quarterfinals after winning the Claremont Regional with a 5-0 victory over the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens.
The Athenas battled their way through doubles play to earn a 3-0 lead heading into the six singles matches. Lindsay Brown (CMC) earned the fourth team point for CMS with a 6-3, 6-2 victory on court three before Caroline Cox (CMC) clinched the match with a 6-4, 6-3 win in the final singles match.
Facing the Sagehens for the third time this season, the Athenas needed to grind their way through doubles play. CMS fell behind quickly in the top doubles match with the team of Lindsay Brown and Nicole Tan dropping their first two games. The duo rallied back to win the match 8-5 and earn the first team point for the Athenas. Catherine Allen (SC) and Caroline Cox (CMC) combined to earn the second point for CMS in a more comfortable fashion, picking up an 8-3 victory on court two.
The Harvey Mudd team of Kyla Scott (HMC) and Juliette Martin (HMC) wrapped up doubles play for CMS with an 8-5 victory in the No. 3 match to set CMS up with a commanding 3-0 lead.
The match then moved to singles play where Claremont McKenna senior Lindsay Brown made quick work of her Pomona-Pitzer opponent at No. 3 singles, with a 6-3, 6-2 victory to give CMS a 4-0 lead in the team score. Playing on commencement Saturday, Brown finished her match and hustled to Pritzlaff Field for the ceremony just in time to collect her diploma.
With CMS needing just one more point to clinch the match, the Sagehens buckled down and put up a fight. Pomona-Pitzer was primed for team points on courts one and five with Maryann Zhao and Arianna Chen both one game away from clinching their matches in straight-sets. Things were also tight on courts two and four where Allen and Scott were both heading for a third set with their matches tied at one set apiece.
With matches tightening up everywhere around her, Caroline Cox kept her composure and played far more mature than her age on court six. The freshman earned the match clinching victory for CMS with a 6-4, 6-3 victory to move the Athenas into the National Quarterfinals.
With the 5-0 victory, CMS moves on to play the winner of Sunday's Tufts vs. MIT Regional Final played in Medford, Mass. The National Quarterfinal match against Tufts/MIT will be play at the Biszantz Family Tennis Center on Monday, May 21 at a time to be determined.
Fans are encouraged to follow CMSathletics.org throughout the week with more information regarding the upcoming Tennis National Championships at the Biszantz Family Tennis Center.