The University of Mary Washington women's tennis team escaped with a 5-4 victory over Washington & Lee University on Saturday in the second round of the NCAA Division III Championship at the Battleground. The Eagles, after claiming the five-plus hour match, improves to 20-4 on the season, and will advance to Sunday's third round to host Amherst College at noon.

The Eagles jumped out to an early lead, as seniors Kait Brogan and Ashley Barrow gained an 8-2 victory at one doubles over Michell Fleenor and Ashton Jenne. The Generals quickly evened the score at 1-1 with an 8-2 win at three doubles, but UMW forged back ahead after the third doubles match, winning 8-4 at number two, with Caroline Mosberg and Rachel Summers gaining the victory.

In singles, the Eagles continued their momentum, gaining a point at five, as Danielle Mirabella topped Lauren Hassell, 6-2, 6-1, and another at one, as Brogan topped Fleenor, 6-1, 6-4. Needing just one more point to clinch, the Eagles saw W&L gain the next three points to tie the score. Emily Kochard took a 7-6, 6-4 win over Hannah Jabusch at three, and Lily Horsley won at four, 7-5, 6-4, over Mosberg.

The score stood tied after W&L's Valerie Marshall won at two, 6-2, 6-4, over Summers. At six singles, freshman Rachel Cooper dropped the first set, 6-4, but bounced back to take the second in a tiebreaker to force a third set against W&L's Mary Hampton McNeal.

After dropping the first two points, an injury timeout gave Cooper some momentum, as she won the next point with a break to narrow the margin to 2-1. Cooper then gained a point on serve to tie the score, and reeled off the next two points to grab a 4-2 advantage. After McNeal held serve to cut the margin to 4-3, Cooper won on serve and then broke to finish the five-hour match and send the Eagles to the next round.