Baljon & Gibson advance to NCAA Singles Quarterfinals; earn All-America honors

Coming off their NCAA team title on Thursday, junior Cary Gibson and sophomore Grace Baljon emerged victorious in the first two rounds of play in the NCAA Singles Tournament, earning All-America honors by advancing to the quarterfinal round.

Both Gibson and Baljon recorded straight-set wins in the morning. Gibson, the 5th-seed, clipped Mary Katherine Stone of Sewanee University 6-3, 6-2 and Baljon eliminated Mary Fiala of Coe College 6-1, 6-3.

In the second round Gibson was matched up against Kristin Cobb of Denison, while Baljon was paired against Coe College's Gab Carvalho, the 7th seed.

Gibson went three sets to down Cobb. Cobb took the first set 6-3, but Gibson returned the favor in the second set by the identical score. In the third set Gibson put the match away with a 6-1 win.

"Cary played very well in the third set once she adjusted to the conditions and allowed her aggressive style of play to take over," said Eph head coach Alison Swain. "Her aggressive play is what won the match for her."

Baljon lost the first set to Carvalho 6-2, but bounced back to take the second set by the same 6-2 margin. Baljon had the momentum going into the third set, but that evaporated quickly. "I got frustrated because it was so windy and she [Carvalho] was playing really well," said Baljon.

Carvalho opened the third set with a 2-1 lead and soon elevated the margin to 5-1. At that point Baljon decided she was not going out of the tournament like this. "Down 5-1 I just decided that I was not going to leave this tournament without a fight," said Baljon. "It really helped to have Cary [Gibson] on the next court and all of the Williams fans behind me."

Baljon's fight and the support of the Williams fans powered her to 6-game win streak to claim the match with a 7-5 win. 

In Saturday's quarterfinals Gibson (21-7) will meet a familiar foe in Amherst's Brittany Berckes (16-6). Gibson and Berckes have met three times this academic year with Gibson holding a 2-1 advantage and both of her wins came in three sets.

Baljon (32-1) will face an opponent she has previously defeated this year in Lauren Caire (26-3) of Washington & Lee. In the Eph regular season loss at Washington & Lee, Baljon topped Caire in straight sets at number two. They did not meet in the NCAA title match as Caire played at three singles, while Baljon played at two.