Gabrielle Clark & Zahra Dawson

Emory University sophomore Gabrielle Clark and senior Zahra Dawson won the NCAA Division III doubles draw at the USTA/ITA National Small College Championships in Mobile, Alabama.  The third-seeded pairing won both of their first two matches of the draw in straight sets, before defeating top-seeded Laura Chen and Courtney Chin of Carnegie Mellon University 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 in the championship match.  Clark and Dawson eventually fell in the ‘Super Bowl’ to Hermon Brhane and Lucie Sipkova of Oklahoma Christian University (an NAIA institution) 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.  Clark also advanced to the finals of the Division III singles draw, before falling 6-3, 6-2 to Lok Sze Leung of Middlebury College.  The duo became the first Emory players to win a USTA/ITA National Small College Championship since 2002.