Oxford College Women's Tennis win second straight National Championship
The Oxford College women's tennis team has captured the NJCAA Division III national championship for the second year in a row and the third time since 2011. The Oxford women swept the tournament, winning all of their championship flights during play October 20-22 at the Peachtree City Tennis Center in Peachtree City, Georgia
Oxford totaled 36 points in play, well ahead of the 19 points earned by runner-up State University of New York's Fashion Institute of Technology. Oxford sophomore Hayley Keats was the number-one singles champion for the second year in a row, with sophomores Kelsey Sattler and Lianne Anderson finishing fourth and fifth in singles play, respectively.
First-year players Mary Kathryn Healy, Caroline Kawula, and Sally Kim won individual and doubles titles. Also earning doubles titles were Kelsey Sattler, Lianne Anderson and Aliyah Auerbach .
The team is coached by Pernilla Hardin, who received the tournament's Coach of the Year award. This is her second such award in less than a year; in May she was named Coach of the Year at the NJCAA Division III men's tennis tournament, where she coached the Oxford men to their fifth national championship. In 2015 she also received the Spirit of Competition award at the women's NJCAA Division III tournament. Says Hardin, "I am extremely proud of these players and of the hard work they have put into becoming champions yet again."
Members of the tennis team are Lianne Anderson, St. Charles, Ill.; Aliyah Auerbach, Marietta, Ga.; Isabella Ellis, Andover, N.H.; Mary Kathryn Healy, Tallahassee, Fla.; Caroline Kawula, Englewood, Colo.; Hayley Keats, Potomac, Md.; Sally Kim, Bellevue, Wash.; Kaia Ordal, Minneapolis Minn.; and Kelsey Sattler, Richboro, Pa.
This second consecutive national championship and the previous title won in 2011 make Oxford one of only three Division III teams to win three national titles. Only one other school, Mercer County (N.J) Community College, has more, with four national titles to their credit.
Since 2006, Oxford's men's and women's tennis teams have racked up a total of eight national championships.