Anna Brylin and Brooke Killingsworth Win ITA All-American Doubles Championship

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. -- Anna Brylin and Brooke Killingsworth made history on Sunday, as the Wake Forest pairing became the first Demon Deacon doubles team to win an ITA All-Americans Championship.

Brylin and Killingsworth, who entered the week's action ranked No. 8 nationally, stormed back from a 5-2 second set deficit to defeat Old Dominion's No. 57 pairing of Yuliia Starodubtseva and Tatsiana Sasnouskaya 2-6, 7-6(6), 10-3 in the Championship Match. 

"This was an incredible performance by Brooke and Anya," said head coach Jeff Wyshner. "They have worked so hard to add to their games since the NCAAs last May, and the different things they could do were needed in the five unique matches they played here. It's the first Women's National Championship in doubles ever for Wake! They were just so poised despite being down so many match points. 

"It is amazing to see players play their best under the most pressure. We did have a great prep for this tournament thanks to Forsyth Country Club and Adam Thomson helping us get on clay courts and Coach Roland really did a fantastic job getting the four players we brought here ready for clay court tennis leading up to the event. Go Deacs!" 

Brylin and Killingsworth opened the week defeating Auburn's No. 19 pairing of Georgia Axon and Adeline Flach 8-5 in the Round of 32. 

Then in the Round of 16, Wake Forest defeated Florida State's No. 20 doubles team of Petra Hule and Vic Allen 8-6. 

In the quarterfinals, Brylin and Killingsworth faced Northwestern's No. 30 pairing of Briana Crowley and Christina Hand 6-3, 6-3 to set up an All-ACC semifinals date with NC State's No. 27 duo of Jaeda Daniel and Alana Smith. 

Despite being down 0-4 in the second set, Wake Forest defeated NC State 7-6(5), 6-4 to make the Championship Match, one in which the Demon Deacons won 2-6, 7-6(6), 10-3 as the Deacs held off six match points in the second set while being down 5-2.

"I am super thankful for all the opportunities we have gotten at Wake, and especially thankful to Coach and Andy," Brylin said. "Andy did a lot of great work with us on clay for the past two weeks to prepare us for this moment. And, of course, I'm super thankful for and proud of Brooke and all that we have been able to accomplish and will try to accomplish in the future. I can't wait to see what the rest of this year looks like." 

"Today was one of the most thrilling days of my tennis career and it was a total team effort from start to finish," Killingsworth added. "Starting two weeks ago from getting out on the clay early and getting comfortable with Andy, to each call made on court today, the support from the team out here in Charleston and back home made this possible. Anya and I never doubted that we could win, even down big. It's been a comeback weekend for the Deacs and we wanted nothing more than to bring the title home."