Team Quarterfinals

Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH

Team Day I

#1 Middlebury 5 #8NC Wesleyan 0

#4 WashU 5 #5Carnegie Mellon 0

#3 Claremont 5 #6Trinity(TX) 2

#7 Amherst 5 #2 Emory 4

Morning matches both were highlighted by uneventful doubles sweeps which set up the winners. Hidden behind the 5-0 scores were some very strenuous singles matches. Middlebury was working hard at #1-#4, and WashU struggling at #2, #3, #5 and #6. The message from the morning was twofold. Doubles is critical at every level of D3, even the Elite Eight.

Middlebury looked worthy of their top billing. ALL their doubles pairs made serves, returns and 1st volleys, and in singles, even tho their top two had loads of offense, it was their defense that impressed. Very solid, high clear rally strokes and defensive shots. NO UNFORCED ERRORS from Middlebury. Much better 1st serves than the Kohawks have. Currently!

The afternoon matches produced the drama of the day. Trinity continued their streak of great doubles winning 81 at #1, rallying from 0-4 at #2 before falling 86, then their #3pair won 98 coming back from 1-5 in the tiebreak. Trinity taught the lesson of positive emotion and body language during doubles. Claremont proved talented in singles, winning at four of the six singles in a hard fought match.

In the feature match of the day, #2 Emory jumped off to a 3-0 lead after doubles against the streaky Jeffs of Amherst. Since Emory featured unbeaten D3 players at #1 and #2 singles, it appreared bleak for the NESCAC runnerup. But in exciting fashion, Amherst won at #5 and #1 in straight sets before Emory won a 3rd set at #4 for a 4-2 lead. Amherst wins the final three matches in 3rd sets including the decider 76 at #3 for the unlikely upset after being swept in doubles.

A great day and tomorrow should be better! Semifinals at 1pm Eastern