CMS Women's Tennis Advances to Nationals with 5-1 Win over Carnegie Mellon

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's tennis team earned its way back to the NCAA Division III nationals, where they will try to win their third straight championship, after winning a 5-1 decision over host Carnegie Mellon in the NCAA Regional finals on Saturday.

The win improves CMS to 24-1 on the season, and sends them on to the NCAA Quarterfinals in St. Louis, where they will face the winner of tomorrow's match between MIT and Middlbury. Carnegie Mellon, which came into the match ranked No. 15, ends its season at 14-7. 

Nikolina Batoshvili won a 6-0, 6-0 decision at No. 6 singles to give CMS a 3-1 lead, after teaming with Alisha Chulani for an 8-2 win at No. 1 doubles for the first point. Sena Selby and Audrey Yoon put the Athenas ahead 2-0 with an 8-5 win at No. 3 doubles, before Carnegie Mellon salvaged the final point at No. 2 doubles in a tiebreaker. 

Jade Haller, who had been out of the lineup the last two weeks with an injury, came back in at the No. 4 position and earned a 6-2, 6-2 win to extend the CMS lead to 4-1, and Audrey Yoon provided the clinch at No. 2 singles with a 6-4, 6-2 win to send the Athenas on to St. Louis. 

Chulani was close to winning her match at No. 3 singles when it was halted, leading 6-3, 5-1. Lindsay Eisenman was also up a set at No. 1 singles, and Selby was tied 1-1 in the third set at No. 4. 

CMS has won the last two national titles, both of which were held in Orlando, and both of which came against Chicago, winning 5-1 in 2022 and 5-3 last season. The Athenas could meet Chicago again if both advance through to the finals, after the Maroons moved on to St. Louis as well with a 5-1 win over Case Western in the regional finals today.