Without question, the most successful program in the nationally recognized athletic department at the University of Mary Washington, women's tennis added another chapter to its storied tradition in 2004-05, claiming the Capital Athletic Conference championship en route to its seventh straight NCAA Division III Tournament appearance. That appearance marks the twentieth time in the 24-year history of the NCAA Championships that the Eagles have participated.

 

The Eagles opened the 2004-05 season by playing in several flighted tournaments, with the highlight coming in the ITA Regional, where UMW's Emily Brimer defeated teammate Katie Miglin for the championship of the Blue Draw Singles flight.

 

The Spring began with UMW topping Methodist College, 8-1, to give Coach Catullo his first victory at his alma mater. The Eagles then split a pair of matches on a Spring Break trip to Florida, before hitting a rough patch where they dropped four of five matches, all against nationally-ranked opponents. A thrilling 5-4 win at home over Muhlenberg College kickstarted an outstanding final month of the season, in which the Eagles won seven of eight matches at one stretch. UMW topped

Swarthmore College, Division One Georgetown University, Washington College, and Salisbury before claiming the CAC Championship for the second straight season en route to its seventh straight NCAA Appearance, where they nearly knocked off Carnegie Mellon University to advance to the NCAA Second Round.

 

Prospects are very good for the 2005-06 season for the Eagles, with just one player lost to graduation. UMW welcomes back CAC Player of the Year Gayle Smith, as well as CAC Champion players Natalia Fugate, Katie Miglin, Emily Brimer, and Allison Hazlett. A new class of top talent will be looked upon to bolster the veteran group to push the Eagles even higher next Spring. Another cause for excitement is the first recruiting class of alumnus Patrick Catullo, who guided Broward Community College to the 2003 and 2004 NJCAA national championships, and brings that success level to his alma mater.