The Washington and Lee women’s tennis team claimed its 16th-straight ODAC title on May 6. They did not drop a single game in the process.

The women’s team entered the championship match against Virginia Wesleyan as the top seed within the ODAC and 15th-ranked nationally. The Blue and White defeated Virginia Wesleyan 5-0.

“It was really special that we didn’t drop a game this year. You can’t really expect something like that,” Lily Horsley, ‘20, said.

Horsley won at No. 2 singles 6-0, 6-0. She garnered another win with partner Lauren Hassell, ‘20, at No. 2 doubles. Other wins came from duos Michelle Fleenor, ‘18, and Ashton Jenne, ‘21, and Claudia Kesala, ‘18, and Anna Kreynin, ‘20. Hassell registered a 6-0, 6-0 win at No. 4 singles.

Horsley said it has been the team’s goals to win ODACs and advance to the NCAA Elite 8 since the beginning of the season.

Fleenor told the Phi in an interview for General of the Week that the team’s ODAC championship win built the confidence needed to take on the NCAA tournament.

“We always go into the tournament very confident and ready to play, and so having the satisfaction of winning the conference after all our hard work is such a great boost for our confidence going into NCAAs,” she said.

Fleenor was named ODAC player of the year, and Valerie Marshall, ‘21, was named rookie of the year. Fleenor was also chosen by the NCAA to compete in the NCAA Division III Women’s Tennis Championship in a field of 32 of other players on May 24-26 in Claremont, Calif.

The team faced Franciscan in the first round of the NCAA tournament on May 11 in Fredericksburg, Va. The Generals defeated Franciscan 5-0 with Horsley posting a 6-0, 6-0 win at No. 4 singles and Mary Hampton McNeal, ‘19, winning 6-0, 6-0 at No. 6 singles.

The Generals faced 19th-ranked Mary Washington on Saturday. Though the team was not able to win overall, the doubles team consisting of Horsley and Hassell won 8-2, and three singles matches won with Horsley, Marshall and Emily Kochard, ‘18, coming out on top.