With Three National Championships, seven NCAA semifinal or final appearances in the past 17 years and a 319-96 record since MWC's first NCAA Division III Tournament trip in 1982, expectations are perennially high for MWC Women's Tennis teams. Eagle teams played in 12 of the first 13 NCAA National Championship Tournaments and it was a great "habit." However, since 1995, MWC has been selected for only one of four national team championship tournaments and in 1998 missed that opportunity again. The Eagles did win their eighth consecutive Capital Athletic Conference Championship and finished with a 10-7 record.
Hopefully the 1998-99 Eagles will reverse the latest "trend" and start another streak of national championship team opportunities. The CAC Rookie & Co-Player of the Year, Lea Schon (So./Richmond, VA) will return after an impressive and successful freshman year at #1 Singles. She will be joined by former #1 Singles & Doubles player, Kirsten Erickson (Sr., Duluth, MN), who missed last season due to illness. Jyoti Schlesinger (Jr., Sandy Spring, MD), the CAC Co-Player of the Year, returns after posting records of 19-11 in Singles & 12-2 in Doubles. Sarah Chase (Jr., Mattapoisett, MA) and partner at #1 doubles, Leah Morris (Sr., Prince George, VA), are back after scoring an impressive 23-10 record, while also advancing to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament. They had 20-6 and 17-7 records in singles play respectively. MWC's third returning senior, Kelley Gallagher (Richmond, VA), achieved records of 17-7 in singles & 15-6 in doubles. Also returning will be Emily Sutliff (So., Holt, MI), who anchored the Eagles at #6 singles with a 14-6 record, and Emily Patterson (So., Spring Lake, NJ).