NCAA Championship Preview: Women's Tennis Starts in 2nd Round vs. Ephs

5/14/2021 4:19:00 PM | By: Joe Ginley '16, SID

The Blue Streaks are in the NCAA Championships for a fifth straight time.

PEACHTREE CORNERS, Ga. -- Riding a 9-match winning streak, the Blue Streaks are ready for battle.

John Carroll University Women's Tennis will start the postseason on Saturday, as the Blue Streaks have a First Round bye. The Blue Streaks will kick things off with a Second Round battle against Williams College at Lifetime Fitness outside of Atlanta.

The Blue Streaks fired past the Otterbein Cardinals, 5-3, in the OAC Championship last Saturday in Mason. With a 2-1 advantage in doubles and excellent play in singles, Shaun Keenan's team demonstrated its skill and power. The Blue Streaks stand at a perfect 9-0 on the year.

The Blue and Gold will face off with the Williams Ephs. The Massachusetts school finished the regular season at 2-3, but snuck into the postseason via a Pool C bid. The Ephs lost to eventual New England Small College Athletic Conference AQ Wesleyan earlier on in the season, but finished the campaign with a 5-4 win over Middlebury on May 8, avenging a loss to the NESAC rival on May 2.

The Ephs are no strangers to adversity. The women of Anik Cepeda were forced to play short-handed in the regular season finale, conceding No. 6 singles and No. 3 doubles due to an injury. Williams only has 6 players on its roster, according to the school's site.

Emory University is the host school, but will not have live stats or live video since the tournament is off-site from the campus.

The winner of Saturday's showdown will face the winner of Emory/Rhode Island College on Sunday at 3 p.m. The Eagles of Emory are a powerhouse, having appeared in the title game each year from 2013-2018. Emory has won 7 National Championships dating back to 1996, and the last title coming in 2016.

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