NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- This weekend, the Christopher Newport women's tennis team will host the CNU Quad, opening the spring season at Centre Court Racquet Club in Newport News, Va. Four teams will compete three times over two days, starting with the Captains opener against Sweet Briar College (2-0) at Noon on Saturday, February 14.
As the day progresses on Saturday, three more head-to-head matchups will be played at Centre Court. At 3:00 pm, Methodist University (0-0) will take on Roanoke College (1-0), followed by a pair of matches at 6:00 pm. The Captains (0-0) will face the Roanoke Maroons and Sweet Briar faces the Methodist Monarchs.
The weekend's schedule wraps up at 10:00 am on Sunday, February 15 as CNU takes on Methodist while the Vixens and Maroons face off in Old Dominion Athletic Conference action. Three of the four teams were ranked in the ITA Atlantic South Preseason Regional Rankings: Methodist at No. 7, CNU at No. 15 and Roanoke at No. 17.
This season, the Captains will boast a very young, but talented roster, filled with freshmen and sophomores. Three All-Conference sophomores are back in the fold for head coach
Eric Christiansen, including 2014 CAC Rookie of the Year
Logan Eldridge. The other second-year players are
Katie Carlson and
Brook Byrd, helping anchor the Captains in 2015.
The freshman class has already impressed for CNU through the fall tournament season, which included a flight title for
Isabelle Wessel at the ITA Southeast Regional Championship. Her eight wins this fall were a team-high, while fellow rookie
Alexandra Drye captured seven victories.
The Methodist Monarchs come into their spring opener as favorites to repeat as USA South champions in 2015. The former conference rivals are led by junior Isabella Graf, who posted a 15-5 overall mark last year. Senior Stephanie Hunter also returns after leading the team with 20 wins last season.
Roanoke is expected to finish second in the ODAC in 2015, after returning three All-Conference performers from last year's squad. Second year head coach Daniel Ragsdale led the Maroons to a school record 16 wins last season and guided Roanoke to a berth in the ODAC Tournament Championship Match. Emily Henderson returns to the court in 2015, after posting a 12-3 mark last season.
Finally, the Captains season-opener will be against the Vixens of Sweet Briar College. Picked to finish ninth in the ODAC preseason poll, Sweet Briar is off to a good start with two wins over William Peace and Ferrum on the road. Sweet Briar boasts one of the top singles players in the region, as sophomore Caitlin Delmas checks in at No. 23 after a 13-1 mark in the No. 1 singles position last year.
