Long known as one of the most successful programs in the nation among NCAA Division III schools, the University of Mary Washington added to their status in 2007-08, as the Eagles advanced to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals after spending the entire spring ranked in the top 10 in the nation. The Eagles finished with a record of 23-4 and saw junior Becky Morse-Karzen and senior Natalia Fugate earn All-America doubles honors at the NCAA Championships.
After a solid start to the year with tournament appearances at the ITA regional championships, Hampton Roads, and George Mason University in the fall, the Eagles reeled off seven straight wins to open the spring. Included among those wins were five straight 9-0 wins in the first five matches, which were victories over George Mason, Methodist University, Towson University, Meredith College, and 16th-ranked Chapman University.
UMW remained undefeated on its California trip over spring break, topping #8 Pomona Pitzer College, 6-3, and 10th-ranked University of Redlands, 5-4. After falling to #5 Denison University, 5-4, the Eagles downed Wesley College, York College, and Villa Julie College in Capital Athletic Conference matches before falling at top-ranked Washington & Lee University, 7-2.
A defeat to #4 Emory University was sandwiched between victories over 13th-ranked Gustavus Adolphus College and #18 Claremont Mudd Scripps, kick starting a13-match win streak which propelled the Eagles to the Capital Athletic Conference championship and into the NCAA Tournament. During the run, UMW topped nationally ranked Carnegie Mellon, The College of New Jersey, and Johns Hopkins University, and topped Salisbury University, 8-1, in the CAC championship.
UMW earned a host site for the first three rounds of the NCAA Tournament and a first round bye. The Eagles topped Methodist, 5-1, in the second round before downing Johns Hopkins, 5-2, in the third round to advance to the national quarterfinals for the first time since 1993. The Eagles traveled to Gustavus Adolphus College for the national championships, with the team advancing to face Williams College and Becky Morse Karzen and Natalia Fugate advancing in the national individual flights.
The Eagles fell in their quarterfinal match to eventual national champion Williams in the team competition. Morse-Karzen dropped her first round singles match in three sets, but teamed with Fugate to advance to the quarterfinals in the national doubles draw, earning All-America honors in doubles.
UMW’s 23 wins were the most for the program since the program’s national championship season in 1988, and the program has gone 45-7 in the past two seasons.
Morse-Karzen gained both singles and doubles All-America honors, as she advanced to the NCAA Championships individually in both. Fugate and Stephanie Kurti, who both teamed with Morse-Karzen during the year, were awarded All-America doubles honors.