(Story courtesy of Trinity University)
(Photo by Joshua Moczygemba)
DECATUR, Ga. - The 21st-ranked Trinity women's tennis team opened the NCAA Division III Playoffs with a 5-0 shutout over Agnes Scott College at the Emory Regional on Friday morning.
Trinity is playing in its second straight NCAA Tournament, and improves to 11-14 on the season with today's win. The Tigers will take on fourth-ranked Emory in Saturday's second round at 3:30 p.m. (ET), on the Eagles' courts in Atlanta. Washington and Lee, ranked No. 16, meets Sewanee in the other second-round match. The winners advance to the third round at noon (ET) on Sunday.
The clincher for the Tigers came at No. 5 singles as Kristy Hamilton blanked her opponent 6-0, 6-0. Stephanie Williamson won the only other completed singles matchup, also winning 6-0, 6-0, at the No. 6 line.
Trinity, the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference champion, captured all three doubles matches. Thavindra Ekanayake and Kylie Hornbeck won 8-3 at No. 1 doubles, while Caroline White and Kathleen Lundquist took the No. 2 slot by the same score. Williamson and Hamilton were 8-0 winners at No. 3 doubles.
Four singles matches remained unfinished, as the dual match was called on the fifth point. Ekanayake led 6-1, 1-0 at No. 1 singles; while Hornbeck stood at 6-2, 1-1 on the No. 2 line. Gabrielle Roe held a 6-2, 0-0 advantage at No. 3 singles. White took the first set of No. 4 singles 6-2. with the second set tied at 2-2 as the match was halted.
The NCAA Championships are slated for May 20-22 at Kalamazoo College, with the third round winner of the Emory Regional qualifying.
