The University of Mary Washington continued to shine as one of the top NCAA Division III programs in the nation in 2008-09, adding to an already-stellar reputation on the national scene. The Eagles, ranked as high as seventh in the nation during the year, used the strength of a balanced lineup despite several injuries to top-six players to gain their 21st NCAA Tournament appearance (second-most all-time in Division III), including their 11th straight national bid.
The Eagles completed a challenging Fall schedule, with flighted tournaments at Oberlin College as well as the ITA Regional Championships, which UMW hosted in September. The Spring began with a 6-3 loss to Division I Radford University, but the Eagles quickly rebounded with victories over Oberlin, 8-1, and Division I George Mason University, 6-1, and Towson University, 7-2.
UMW then finished fourth in the first-ever ITA Indoor National Championships in Minnesota, topping 15th ranked Gustavus Adolphus College, 8-1, before falling to second-ranked Emory University and then fifth-ranked Denison University in the third-place match. From there, the Eagles took a trip to California for Spring Break, topping Chapman University, 6-3, before dropping a 6-3 decision to sixth-ranked Pomona-Pitzer College.
Mary Washington, having already faced three top-10 ranked opponents, hosted its fourth top-10 foe in second-ranked Washington & Lee University, and dropped a close 5-4 score to the Generals. The eagles went on to defeat Catholic University, 9-0, later in the day. UMW dropped a 7-2 match to #21 Johns Hopkins University.
The Eagles then set off for Atlanta, Ga., for the Great Eight Invitational, and came away with two wins in three matches, having topped #15 Washington University and #16 DePauw University with a 5-2 loss to #4 Chicago sandwiched between. The DePauw victory kick-started an amazing run over the next month, as UMW won its next 10 matches, all by 9-0 scores, including six matches on the road.
During its streak, the Eagles topped St. Mary’s College and Salisbury University for their sixth consecutive Capital Athletic Conference championship, and 17th title overall in the 19-year history of the league. Mary Washington travelled to Granville, Ohio for the opening rounds of the NCAA Championship Tournament, topping Hope College, 5-1, in the second round after receiving a first round bye, before falling to Denison University, 5-1, in the third round. UMW closed the season with an 18-8 record in 2009 against a schedule that saw the Eagles face eleven nationally-ranked opponents and three Division I schools.
Seniors Becky Morse-Karzen and Kate Malpeli advanced to the NCAA individual championships in Atlanta, Ga., where Morse-Karzen competed in the national singles bracket and the duo competed in the doubles championship, where they fell in the first round in three sets to the eventual national champions from the University of Chicago. Morse-Karzen, a three-time All-American, closed her career as the school’s Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year for her academic and athletic success. She was later nominated for the NCAA Woman of the Year award.