NEWPORT NEWS -- The Christopher Newport men's and women's tennis teams won their home openers Sunday afternoon, beating St. Mary's College of Maryland before a nice crowd. The Captains' women beat the Seahawks 9-0, and the CNU men won 7-2.

The CNU women swept three doubles matches, gaining quick victories at No. 1 by Marion Gloor and Kim Morrissett and at No. 3 by freshman Jackie Gaine and Angela Stallman. At No. 2, Millie Downs and Jodi Noland overcame a 7-6 deficit. After Downs laced a couple of down-the-line forehand winners to pull out a long service game to put the Captains ahead 8-7, she and Noland broke serve on four straight points to end the pro-set.

In singles, each Captain won convincingly, with the odd-numbered positions starting first. No. 5 Gaine, who earned her first collegiate dual victories on the day, made the team score 4-0 before No. 3 Noland won 6-1, 6-0 for the clincher. No. 1 Morrissett, No. 4 Downs, No. 2 Gloor, No. 6 Stallman and exhibition player Jessica Clark completed the triumphs.
Gloor bounced back from the previous day's practice, when she accidentally cut herself with a follow-through on a forehand, forcing her to receive stitches.
 
In the men's match, the Captains took a 2-1 lead. The all-Charlottesville-area pairing of Lloyd Luck and Joey Manilla posted an 8-0 shutout at No. 3, and Will Sloan and Robbie Wagner – the most emotionally charged tandem on the court – weathered a mid-match lull to win 8-4. St. Mary's cut its deficit to 2-1 as Andrew Gear and Mark Hardesty edged Chiraag Shetty and Kyle Tobin 9-8 (7-3), taking a 4-0 lead in the tiebreak and holding on.

In singles, No. 3 Manilla and No. 5 Sloan posted quick victories, but St. Mary's added a point when Gear outdueled Shetty in a 7-6 (7-3), 7-5 thriller. Tobin blasted a winning forehand down-the-line for a 6-0, 6-3 triumph at No. 2 that gave the Captains an insurmountable 5-2 advantage. Wagner and newcomer Joona Rahko, who gained his first collegiate triumph, then won in straight sets.
 
The Captains will return to action Saturday. The men will play at Division I East Carolina in Greenville, N.C., while the women will face Mary Washington on North Carolina Wesleyan's courts in Rocky Mount.

Next Sunday, both CNU teams will play at N.C. Wesleyan, one of their biggest rivals. The N.C. Wesleyan teams, including the four-time reigning USA South champion men's team, are in their first year under the direction of former Captains player and assistant coach Worth Richardson.

Courtesy of Sonny Dearth
 
WOMEN
CNU 9, ST. MARY'S 0
Doubles
1. Gloor-Morrissett d. L. Rost-Stumpfig 8-0;
2. Downs-Noland d. Ramsey-Stine 9-7;
3. Gaine-Stallman d. Bradcovich-Rau 8-1.
Order of finish: 1, 3, 2.
 
Singles
1. Kim Morrissett d. Shannon Ramsey 6-1, 6-1;
2. Marion Gloor d. Emily Stumpfig 6-3, 6-1;
3. Jodi Noland d. Lauren Rost 6-1, 6-0
4. Millie Downs d. Alyssa Stine 6-0, 6-4;
5. Jackie Gaine d. Anna Passaniti 6-0,6-1.
6. Angela Stallman d. Emily Rost 6-0, 6-0.
Exhibition: Jessica Clark (CNU) d. Marie Rau 8-1.
Order of finish: 5, 3 (clincher), 1, 4, 2, 6
Records: St. Mary's 3-4 (including fall), CNU 1-1.
 
MEN
CNU 7, ST. MARY'S 2
Doubles
1. Gear-Hardesty (SMC) d. Shetty-Tobin 9-8 (7-3);
2. Sloan-Wagner (CNU) d. Feighner-Guzzone 8-4;
3. Lloyd Luck-Manilla (CNU).d. Harris-Paulishak 8-0.
Order of finish: 3, 2, 1.
 
Singles
1. Andrew Gear (SMC) d. Chiraag Shetty 7-6 (7-3), 7-5;
2. Kyle Tobin (CNU) d. Mark Hardesty 6-0, 6-3;
3. Joey Manilla (CNU) d. John Feigner 6-0, 6-1;
4. Robbie Wagner (CNU) d. J. Guzzone 6-3, 6-1;
5. Will Sloan (CNU) d. Wyatt Paulishak 6-1, 6-0.
6. Joona Rahko (CNU) d. Daniel Harris 6-1, 6-1.
Order of finish: 3, 5, 1, 2 (clincher), 4, 6.  
Records: St. Mary's 3-4 (including fall), CNU 1-1.