Tennis teams ranked; head to nationals in May

The Emory Oxford men's and women's tennis teams are nationally ranked in the junior college division by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association in a poll released April 18.

The women's team is currently ranked 20th, while the men's team is 24th. The list is made up of junior colleges from all over the country.

After completing a very tough schedule with all opponents being NJCAA Division I, NCAA DII and III, assistant coach Gwen Blount says the season was a success.

"Our players fought through every point with grit and determination against very talented scholarship players," she said. "This season has pushed our players to be better and more seasoned than ever." 

A snapshot of this year's maximized effort is in team co-captain freshman Ben Xi's match against Coastal Alabama South.  It was a very hot day in Sumter, South Carolina. All matches were completed, except Xi's. The team gathered at his court, every eye on Xi, including his parents who had come from New Jersey. It was a very tight 10 point tie-break, each point evoking crowd moans and celebrations from both teams, until Xi came out on top 10-8 to the great joy and elation of the Eagles.

"It felt like we, as a team, were literally on the court, playing every point with Ben," Blount said. "That is the spirit of this team. We win matches together and we feel the sting of a tough loss together." 

Sophomore and men's co-captain Ewan Kim has expressed his joy for playing on this team.

"The tennis team makes me want to play for more than myself."

The team will look to defend their National Championship titles at the 2024 NJCAA Division III tennis Championship, held from May 10-12 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. 

"It is with this united effort we can embrace the challenges of nationals," Blount said.

Highlights from this season's men's competition includes defeating Gadsden State Community College, an NJCAA division I school, with a decisive score of 6-3. 

The Eagles dominated in singles, winning five out of six matches. Freshman Daniel Bernard (6-3, 4-6, 10-4) and Xi (6-2, 6-0) both won their matches in singles and teamed up to win in doubles as well (8-4). Sophomore Peter Tracy easily won his match by a score of 6-3, 6-0. Also getting wins for Emory Oxford were Kim (6-4, 6-1) and freshman Elliot Li (6-3, 6-4). 

Against NCAA division II Emmanuel University, Tracy, who plays first singles position, took it to a third set, lost by a score of 6-7, 6-0, 9-11. In that same match, Li defeated his opponent 6-2, 7-6. Li also took his match against division II Benedict College to the third set, losing by a close 1-6, 6-3, 6-10.

One the women's side, Coastal Alabama (NJCAA division I) narrowly defeated the women's team 5-4 on April 13, with wins coming from freshmen Olha Los and Lily Liu in singles and doubles and sophomore Kashin Mathur in singles. 

Liu and Los both have three individual wins this season, including ones against NCAA Division III opponent Piedmont University. Freshman Marie Chastel has two individual wins and teamed up with Los for two doubles wins. Chastel also took her match against Coastal Alabama CC to the third set, losing by a close 10-7 in the end.

In another very exciting team match, sophomore captain Yolanda Yang defeated Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association Region 17 foe ABAC this season by a score of 5-7, 6-2, 10-7, for an impressive win against a difficult opponent. Rounding out the rest of the starters for the Eagles is sophomore Shankari Theivanayagam and freshman Mina Chen.