NCAA Individual Championships Website

Chattanooga, Tenn., May 28, 2021 — Washington University in St. Louis senior Ally Persky and first year Karen Gao had their seasons end Friday in the opening round of the NCAA Division III Individual Championships.

Persky suffered a 6-1, 6-0 loss to Reagan Delp of Christopher Newport in the opening round of singles play.  

In the doubles draw, Persky and Gao battled back from an opening-set loss to force a third set against Kathy Joseph and Sam Wong of Texas-Dallas, but the Bears eventually fell 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.

"I am so proud of Ally and Karen for their great run at NCAA individuals. Ally had a tough first round match but rebounded well for our evening doubles. While we ultimately fell in a tough third set, Ally and Karen showed great fight and competitive spirit while displaying their many doubles improvements from the season," said head coach Paige Madara. "It was a great season for the Bears. Karen started her college career off with an appearance at NCAA individuals and Ally capped her incredible career with the trip to the final site."

The match was the end of an era for Persky, who was named an Elite 90 recipient earlier in the day. She finished her WashU career with a 34-34 career record in singles play and 37-41 record in doubles play.

"Ally has epitomized what it means to be a scholar-champion by winning the Elite 90 award, displaying grit, passion, and love for all her Bears every time she steps on the court and leading the Bears with heart," Madara said. "We will miss her, Laurel Wanger and Emma Sass next year, but are excited to build upon this strong season in the fall."