NCAA Women’s Finals Preview: #1 Emory vs # 3 CMS

Aaaand we’re back! After some QFs that turned out to be very predictable, we were treated to a couple of thrilling semis! As I’ve said multiple times by now, this is the first year in awhile that any of the top four seeds can win it all – and that could not have been more clearly depicted than in the Final Four matchups with tight scorelines of 5-4 and 5-3. I’m going to do a quick recap because these two matches were down to the wire, and teams like Midd and Williams deserve credit where credit is due on absolutely phenomenal seasons (that aren’t over just yet!) and fighting down to the end. Midd grabbed the surprise doubles lead over Emory and kept it close on every single court through to the very end. It all came down to #1 singles, where Puccinelli really made a run for it against Gonzalez-Rico before falling in the third. Midd is a feisty and young team, and with no seniors graduating, they’re certainly ones to watch next season. Over in the other semi, Williams looked to have control of the match, up 2-1 heading into singles, but CMS was not going to let the getaway without a fight. And fight they did. CMS kept it very close and surprised me with some big wins over some very talented seniors in Cancio and Gancayco. By now, you all know I ride the Williams hype train, and I may or may not be guilty of yelling/cheering at my computer at work…

As we now turn our attention to the finals, I’d say we are in for a wild ride. The last time these two played, Emory took home the 5-4 decision. However, both teams played long, tough matches today, and let’s be real, when you’re playing for a National Championship, the atmosphere, the stakes, the energy – it’s all elevated. I am fully expecting (and hoping) this match goes down to the wire, and I’m very excited to see how these matches end up. Okay, you’ve had a very lengthy intro from me. Sorry for rambling, let’s get to the good stuff.

#1 Doubles: Ysabel Gonzalez-Rico/Bridget Harding (Emory) vs. Lindsay Brown/Nicole Tan (CMS)

ASW: Neither of these teams are playing as well as they have played in the past but fortunately for them someone has to win. The Eagles’ are very aggressive but I think the Athena’s home court advantage will push them over the top. CMS 8-6

Nameless: Both teams suffered losses in the semis, and despite great seasons, neither have seen peak performance at NCAAs so far. However, if there’s a day to change that, it’s today. I expect both teams to step it up and go for it. I like the Eagles’ aggressive dubs play, so ultimately I think Emory wins 9-7.

#2 Doubles: Anna Fuhr/Stephanie Taylor (Emory) vs. Catherine Allen/Caroline Cox (CMS)

ASW: Fuhr and Taylor are rocks at #2 doubles. It’s their thing. I’ve been wrong about basically everything this week but I think this one I’ll get right. Emory 8-5

Nameless: Fuhr and Taylor are on fire, but Allen and Cox got the lone dubs point against Williams. While the Athenas may be on a hot win streak, I think Fuhr and Taylor are just too good. Emory wins 8-5.

#3 Doubles: Daniela Lopez/Katie Chang (Emory) vs. Juliette Martin/Kayla Scott (CMS)

ASW: This is one of CMS’s strongest spots against Emory’s arguably weakest spot. Scott and Martin are not showing any signs of letting up. CMS 8-4

Nameless: Martin and Scott went down quickly against Williams (though I must say, I’ve never seen Henderson and Gancayco play SUCH fantastic doubles), and Chang and Lopez also suffered a loss against Midd. This match is the closest to a swing match that I think we’ll see in the finals, and I just don’t think Emory will pull off the sweep. CMS wins 8-6.

#1 Singles: Ysabel Gonzalez-Rico (Emory) vs. Nicole Tan (CMS)

ASW: I know we got called out in the comments for missing that Raventos ankle roll, but that did not seem to slow her down against a struggling Tan today. I think Gonzalez-Rico is coming in hot. She also has the huge confidence boost of clinching today against Midd. Emory 7-5, 6-1

Nameless: These two had very different matches in the semis: Tan lost very quickly to a slightly injured (thank you commenters for the info on that one!) Raventos, whereas Gonzalez-Rico fought off a resurgence from Puccinelli to clinch the match. Though Tan might be fresher, and Gonzalez-Rico might be staving off nerves, I’m going with the Eagle freshman on this one. Emory wins 6-3, 6-4.

#2 Singles: Bridget Harding (Emory) vs. Catherine Allen (CMS)

ASW: If there was a time for Harding’s senior experience to present itself, it would be now. Both are great players, this will be close. Emory 6-2, 1-6, 6-4

Nameless: Both Harding and Allen made light work of their opponents in the semis, but I expect this match to be much closer. Both play a very consistent game, are incredibly fit, and can grind their opponents down as the match goes on. I expect this one to go deep into the third, but, ultimately, I think the Emory senior will pull out a win to cap off her career. Emory wins 3-6, 6-4, 7-5.

#3 Singles: Daniela Lopez (Emory) vs. Lindsay Brown (CMS)

ASW: Brown is on her game in singles. I think this is one of CMS’s most confident spots right now. Lopez has been a little shaky. I’m not very bold tonight so I’m going with CMS. CMS 6-3, 6-3

Nameless: I was very impressed by Brown’s play against Cross in the semis. The Athena senior seems to be peaking right at the end of her career – and going into a national championship match, the timing is surely serendipitous. I don’t want to discount Lopez, though – she’s a talented player who can be very dangerous. Especially after a loss to Boehm, I’m sure she’s got a fire lit under her going into this match. I think it’s CMS’ turn to shine, though: CMS wins 6-3, 7-5.

#4 Singles: Anna Fuhr (Emory) vs. Kyla Scott (CMS)

ASW: Both could beat any 4 on a given day, but at the same time are far from locks right now. I normally assign winners arbitrarily. I’ll keep doing that. Emory 7-5, 6-3

Nameless: Scott didn’t get a chance to finish, but was having a very close match with Henderson when Berger clinched. She looked to be in top form and really fighting through the entire match. After not playing in the quarters, Fuhr was back on court at #4 against Midd. Though she suffered a loss to Blayze, I can’t count her out. Since I’m feeling an upset, I’ll go with the Athenas. CMS wins 6-4, 7-5.

#5 Singles: Defne Olcay (Emory) vs. Rebecca Berger (CMS)

ASW: Both teams have such solid bottoms of their lineup, and I think they will split #5 and #6 singles, but I’m not sure which one. My guess is that whichever team wins #6 singles will win the championship. (For real though, look at the matches this week. Whoever wins #6 singles wins the match. It’s not a conspiracy! I’m not crazy!) I think Berger’s win over Gancayco had more star power than Olcay’s win over Schossberger today, and for that reason alone I’m going with CMS. CMS 6-3, 4-6, 6-2

Nameless: Berger had a huge win over Gancayco in the semis to send the Athenas to their first national championship in program history. Now, Olcay is not to be overshadowed by that, as she powered through Schossberger to help her team to a win. This match (like all the others) will definitely be close, but I’m thinking CMS wins 7-6 (4), 6-4.

#6 Singles: Stephanie Taylor (Emory) vs. Caroline Cox (CMS)

ASW: This is too hard. Previously in this tournament both girls have been locks for wins. But I have to pick one of them to lose. I’m going with my regional bias here. Emory 7-6, 6-3

Nameless: Taylor rolled through Stow, while Cox took care of the ever-dangerous Cancio. Both players look to be playing exceptionally well, and I’m thinking this match will go deep into the third. I’m thinking CMS will be showcasing their depth at the bottom of the lineup and will take this match, too. CMS wins 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

Overall Prediction:

ASW: I’ve been wrong all week, so it makes me nervous that I’m predicting a narrow Emory victory. At least Nameless and I are predicting opposite things so no matter what, Division3tennis.com predicted your NCAA winner. Emory 5-4

Nameless: I’m really hoping for a nailbiter here, and given that I’ve been pretty boring so far in calling the matches, I’m going for the upset in the big dance. CMS wins 5-4

Nameless: Before one of my fellow writers properly closes out this article, I did just want to give a little spotlight to the third place match. It’s a match that’s often overlooked, and one that can prove to be very tough, as teams have to bounce back from the disappointment of a loss, refocus, and try to pump themselves up for one last match. The urgency here, in my opinion, is with the Ephs – they’re graduating four extremely talented seniors who have won two national titles in their tenure, and even though their undefeated season was stopped by a charging CMS, they have the chance to end the season on a win. Middlebury is a tough opponent, and this will be the third meeting of the two teams this season. The Panthers will be looking to avenge their losses, and, as always, will put up a big fight. This match ultimately comes down to who can fire it up best. It’s a tough spot to be in, but I think the Eph seniors will bring their ever-present positive intensity to the match and help their seniors end their careers on a high note. This will be a close one, but I say the Ephs win 5-3.

Ok, that’s enough of me rambling for one article. K bye.

ASW: Nameless did her part before I did and first thing I did when I opened the document was skim through her answers. I read the last paragraph and thought she predicted Williams to win the whole thing. She really rides that Williams hype train so I don’t think I would have had the heart to tell her that William’s actually lost today. Fortunately I figured out that she was talking about the third place match. Awkward situation avoided!

Nameless and I predicted opposite outcomes but that just goes to show how close this match will probably be. Huge congratulations to both teams for making it to this stage. I know I’ve previously poo-pooed the idea of the home court advantage but I honestly think it might make a difference in this match where emotions are elevated to such a high degree. That tiny extra bit of cheering or familiarity with the courts makes a big difference. I’ve had my seat booked on the Emory train all year now so I hope they can overcome the away team disadvantage. We’ll just have to wait to let the rackets do the talking. Thanks for all the comments on previous articles! We are glad that people are here and are excited. Stay tuned for even more content through the rest of this week, and we will probably wrap up the season in some way in the coming weeks. That’s it for me. You stay classy, San Diego.