Historic 2018 Season Wraps Friday in Individual Play

CLAREMONT, Calif. - A historic 2018 season for the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's tennis team came to an end on Friday evening when the final Athenas left in the women's tennis individual and doubles tournaments. Catherine Allen advanced to the semifinals in the singles competition, but a lengthy three-set battle with Wesleyan's Victoria Yu went in favor of the Cardinals' junior. The doubles team of Nicole Tan (CMC) and Lindsay Brown (CMC) also wrapped up their run through the tournament with a three-set quarterfinal loss.

Sixth-seeded Catherine Allen began Friday with a quarterfinal match against third-seeded Elysa Khors of MIT. The Athenas' sophomore swept Kohrs away in straight sets earning a 6-3, 6-2 victory and advancing to the afternoon's semifinal round. With just four players remaining in the tournament, Allen was matched against Victoria Yu of Wesleyan with a trip to Saturday's finals on the line. Yu took the opening set with a 6-4 victory, but Allen rebounded for a 6-4 win of her own in the second set. With the match tied 1-1, the stage was set for a winner-take-all third set.

Throughout the week, Allen had played six singles matches and four doubles matches prior to her semifinal bout with Yu and the toll of those matches was showing on the sophomore. Allen hung tough, showing the grit, determination, and heart that she had shown all year. Unfortunately, Allen fell just short in her final set of the season, falling 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in the match and finishing the season as an individual semifinalist.

Later in the evening, Nicole Tan wrapped up her season and Lindsay Brown her career with a tough doubles match in the quarterfinals against Amherst's Anya Ivenitsky and Avery Wagman. Brown and Tan fell in the first set 7-5, but quickly battled back with a 6-2 win in the second set to even the match at 1-1. In the final set, Amherst pulled away and earned the set 6-2, to complete the 7-5, 2-6, 6-2 victory to advance to the doubles semifinals on Saturday.

Friday's play wraps-up a phenomenal 2018 season for the Athenas. On Wednesday evening, CMS won the first National Championship in program history with a 5-4 victory over the Emory Eagles on their home courts.