No. 21 Spartan Men Fall to No. 2 Emory in UAA Championship Semifinals
ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. – The No. 21 nationally-ranked Case Western Reserve University men's tennis team scored a point early in doubles play, but eventually fell by a score of 8-1 to No. 2 Emory University (Ga.) in the semifinal round of the 2012 University Athletic Association Championship on Friday morning at Sanlando Park.
The fourth-seeded Spartans (14-8 overall, 1-1 UAA) now move to the league's third-place match versus second-seeded No. 13 Carnegie Mellon University (Pa.) tomorrow (Saturday, April 28) at 9:00 a.m. Top-seeded Emory (18-0, 2-0 UAA) advances to the title match versus third-seeded Washington University-St. Louis.
A win tomorrow would give the Spartans a tie for the best finish in program history (third in 1999). A loss would make this year's team just the third in program history to finish fourth (1996 and 2000).
Emory got off to a 2-1 lead in three tightly-contested doubles matches. The Spartans picked up their point at second position as the tandem of senior co-captain Sean Carr (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington) and junior Richard Brunsting (Nashville, Tenn./Montgomery Bell Academy) defeated Elliot Kahler and Ian Wagnerby a count of 8-4.
The Eagles won the other two doubles matches at No. 1 and No. 3 by respective scores of 8-5 and 8-6, then took all six singles matches in straight-sets.
Tomorrow's match with CMU takes on added importance for the Spartans, as the team looks to earn an at-large berth to the NCAA Championship Tournament. It would be the first in program history.
