NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- In what will prove to be a packed weekend for CNU Tennis at the Centre Court Racquet Club, the Christopher Newport men's tennis team will focus their attention against three regionally-ranked opponents at home. CNU, ranked 10th in the ITA Preseason Atlantic South poll, will take on 12th-ranked Franklin & Marshall, 15th-ranked Methodist and 17th-ranked Virginia Wesleyan in the span of two days.
The Captains have opened the season by splitting duals against Division I opponents in the opening weekend, defeating Longwood University, 6-1, before falling to Richmond University by the same score. The young CNU squad employed three freshmen, two sophomores and a junior in singles play and all but one player split on the opening weekend.
The top performances came in doubles, as CNU swept the No. 2 and No. 3 matches over their Division I counterparts. Sophomore
Arttu Fiva and freshman
Max Katcher paired for two wins in the third line, while junior
Chiraag Shetty and sophomore
Steven Boslet picked up a couple wins at the second.
With their first matchups against Division III foes this season, the Captains will be busy in their home opener. First, the Captains will face the Diplomats of Franklin & Marshall at Noon on Saturday, followed by a matchup at 4:00 pm against their cross-water rivals from Virginia Wesleyan. On Sunday, CNU will play a matinee at 11:00 am against former conference rivals from Methodist, rounding out the competitive weekend of play.
Franklin & Marshall is opening their season at CNU, and will need to replace two of their top players from last season. Like the Captains, F&M features a young squad that will likely lean on at least three freshman players to make an impact this season. The Diplomats were picked to finish third in the Centennial Conference preseason poll.
Virginia Wesleyan played its first match of the season on Friday, taking on Chowan College in a neutral site matchup. The Marlins will face CNU on Saturday and then take on the Diplomats in a Sunday afternoon match on a neutral court. Drew Tomajczyk and Spencer Bullock are junior leaders for Virginia Wesleyan and will likely pair together in doubles play.
Rounding out CNU's opponents for the weekend is a team they are very familiar with, facing long-time USA South rivals from Methodist University. The Monarchs will open their season Saturday against Guilford College at home, and will then travel to face CNU in Sunday morning's matchup. Methodist was picked second in the USA South preseason poll and feature four top returners, including three All-Conference selections.
