CLAREMONT, Calif. – The Edgewood College women's tennis program returns to the NCAA Division III Championship for the first time since the 2018-19 season. The Eagles take on the East Texas Baptist University Tigers in a first-round bout Friday, May 9. The match will be hosted by Pomona-Pitzer Colleges at the Pauley Tennis Complex.
 
THE BASICS
- Edgewood College (17-9, 8-0 NACC) vs. East Texas Baptist (8-6, 2-2 American Southwest Conference)
- Claremont, Calif. (Pauley Tennis Complex)
- Friday, May 9, 11:00 a.m. PDT
- Live Links
 
EDGEWOOD COLLEGE ROSTER | EDGEWOOD COLLEGE SCHEDULE | EDGEWOOD COLLEGE STATS
 
EAST TEXAS BAPTIST ROSTER | EAST TEXAS BAPTIST SCHEDULE | EAST TEXAS BAPTIST STATS
 
2025 NCAA DIVISION III BRACKET | NCAA DIVISION III TOURNAMENT HISTORY
 
HOW THEY GOT HERE
- Edgewood College returned to the NCAA Tournament after a dominant display in the NACC. After going 8-0 in regular season action, the Eagles finished the job with a 4-0 victory in the NACC Tournament Semifinal against Illinois Tech and a 4-1 final against the St. Norbert Green Knights
 
- East Texas Baptist entered the American Southwest Tournament as a three seed with something to prove. After defeating the second-seeded Hardin-Simmons 4-3, they toppled top seed Mary Hardin-Baylor 4-3 in the championship, avenging their two regular-season conference defeats.
 
THE TEAMS
- Evelyn Taylor has held down the top spot in singles and doubles for Edgewood College all season. She was the only player in the NACC to go undefeated in no. 1 singles in conference play and went 5-0 in NACC action in no. 1 doubles alongside Marissa Light. She has the second-most singles wins overall among all NACC players and earned NACC Player of the Year accolades in the fall.
 
- Light, Christina Ekkela, Madelyn Connaughty, and Hattie Plenty were all tabbed for All-NACC accolades as well. Light paired up with Taylor in the top slot frequently, finishing 4-0 in NACC doubles play in the fall. Light also stepped up into the no. 2 singles slot in the spring, earning eight wins overall in the second slot.
 
- Ekkela and Plenty led the NACC with 19 singles wins overall. Ekkela went 7-0 in conference play, while Plenty finished with a 6-0 mark. Plenty teamed up with Connaughty for a 19-6 doubles record, including an undefeated 5-0 mark in conference. Ekkela earned 15 victories in doubles action, being paired with Sarah Emory down the stretch as the duo helped Edgewood College become undefeated NACC Champions.

- Connaughty posted a 14-7 mark in singles play with a 5-1 record in conference tilts. She led the team with 22 doubles victories on the season, including a 5-0 mark in top doubles. Emory stepped up into the starting lineup and tallied nine doubles and four singles victories.
 
- Head coach Kevin Friend and his coaching staff earned their first-ever NACC Coach of the Year honor this season.
 
- Bailey Smith stepped up in the top slots for East Texas Baptist. She finished with an 11-2 mark in singles, including 5-1 and 6-1 records in no. 1 and 2 singles respectively. She teamed up with Monique Ybarra for a 9-4 record in no. 1 doubles for the Tigers. Ybarra split time with Smith in the top slots, finishing 4-3 in no. 1 singles and 4-0 in no. 2 singles.
 
- Jayde Childress contributed to the East Texas Baptist efforts in singles with an 8-5 record, primarily in no. 3 singles. She paired up with Kristyn Dunn frequently in doubles, earning three wins together in the second slot. Dunn contributed to singles with four wins.
 
-Isabella Macquet contributed a 5-1 mark in singles action. She finished with a 7-4 record in doubles play, featuring mostly alongside Fernanda Ruiz Burkart. Burkart posted a 4-1 record in singles action.
 
THE FIELD
- The winner of this match will take on host Pomona-Pitzer Saturday. Trinity (Texas) and Whitman will face off on the other side of the Claremont bracket Saturday. The winners of the two matches will square off on Saturday with a trip to the final rounds at the Biszantz Family Tennis Center in Claremont, Calif. on the line.
 
POSTSEASON HISTORY
- The NCAA appearance will be the eighth for the Eagles (2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2018-19).
 
- The Tigers enter their second-ever NCAA Tournament (2016-17) after winning their second-ever ASC Tournament crown.
 
- The meeting will be the first time the two women's tennis programs have played.