Washington & Lee Defeats Gustavus Adolphus 5-3 to Earn Final-Four Appearance

Memphis, TN---In first round action at the 2004 NCAA Division III Women's Tennis Championships, the Washington & Lee (W&L) Generals defeated the Golden Gusties of Gustavus Adolphus College by a score of 5-3 at the Racquet Club of Memphis (Memphis, TN).

The Golden Gusties got off to a quick start on Wednesday 5/12, taking a 3-0 lead in both #1 and #2 doubles matches. Washington & Lee's #1 team of Lindsay Hagerman and Ginny Wortham, however, reeled off 5 straight games after their slow start and went on to defeat Darcy Haubrick and Lyndsey Palen of Gustavus Adolphus by a score of 8-4. The Golden Gusties quickly evened the score with Lauren Hom and Kara Smiley's 8-5 win at #2 doubles over W&L's Lora Farris and Kristen McClung. Washington & Lee gained an advantage going into singles after Elizabeth Law and Lisa Mabry gave the Generals a 2-1 lead with an 8-6 win over Marla Menne and Jaime Gaard in a long, hard fought #3 doubles match.

At the end of doubles play, rain started to fall. After a 20 minute delay, the players moved to indoor courts at the Racquet Club of Memphis to begin singles play. W&L continued its momentum from doubles as freshman McClung gave her squad a 3-1 lead (with a 6-1, 6-2 win) at #2 singles over Gustavus' Hom. Smiley from Gustavus defeated Katie Kingsbury at #6 singles (6-0, 6-3) to make the score 3-2. The teams continued to trade matches throughout the afternoon, as W&L's Law defeated Gustavus' Palen at #3 singles (6-3, 6-3), and Gustavus' Gaard defeated Washinton & Lee's Mabry (6-1, 6-3) at #5 singles. With the Generals leading 4-3, W&L freshman Wortham clinched the match for the Generals with a win (6-1, 3-6, 6-3) over Gustavus' Menne at #4 singles. Meanwhile, at #1 singles the match was dead even (6-7 (3), 6-3, 1-1) between the General's Hagerman and the Golden Gusties' Houlihan when the players were pulled off the court.

W&L will move on to face the Emory Universtiy in the semifinals on Thursday 5/13 at Rhodes College (Memphis, TN). Emory advanced with a 7-0 win over Redlands in quarterfinal action in Memphis. W&L and Emory will take the court at the Dunavant Tennis Center on the campus of Rhodes College on Thursday 5/13 (10:00am).

Doubles

#1 Hagerman/Wortham (W&L) def. Houlihan/Palen (GAC)...... 8-4
#2 Smiley/Hom (GAC) def. Farris/McClung (W&L)...... 8-5
#3 Law/Mabry (W&L) def. Menne/Gaard (GAC)...... 8-6

Singles

#1 Hagerman (W&L) vs Houlihan (GAC)...... 6-7 (3), 6-3, 1-1
#2 McClung (W&L) def. Hom (GAC)...... 6-1, 6-2
#3 Law (W&L) def. Palen (GAC)...... 6-3, 6-3
#4 Wortham (W&L) def. Menne (GAC)...... 6-1, 3-6, 6-3
#5 Gaard (GAC) def. Mabry (W&L)...... 6-1, 6-3
#6 Smiley (GAC) def. Kingsbury (W&L)...... 6-0, 6-3