NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Director of Tennis
Eric Christiansen announced that both the men's and women's tennis matches against St. Mary's College of Maryland would be bumped up two hours today, with a new start time of 2:00 pm. The Christopher Newport women will host St. Mary's in its first match in 10 days, looking to improve on a five-match win streak against Division III opponents.
The Captains (11-4, 4-0) are ranked seventh in the Atlantic South Regional Rankings by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA), led by rookie
McKinney Harwood, who is ranked in both singles and doubles. The Seahawks enter Wednesday's matchup with a 9-3 overall record, including a 4-0 start in conference play.
Harwood is ranked 14th in the region for singles, with an 8-5 mark at the top line. The freshman from Nebraska has been impressive in her first year, including a 1-2 mark against regionally-ranked opponents. On Wednesday, she will most likely face off against St. Mary's senior Shannon Ramsey, who boasts a 9-3 mark in No. 1 singles this season. Harwood is also ranked in doubles, with
Katie Carlson, as the No. 11 tandem in the Atlantic South.
CNU has also gotten stellar production from the rest of its young roster, winning over 70% of its singles matches this year and over 73% in doubles. Rookie
Kate Huck has a team-high 11 singles victories, playing primarily at No. 6, but also posting a combined 4-0 mark at No. 4-5. Sophomore
Logan Eldridge also has 11 wins, as the 2014 CAC Rookie of the Year has combined for a 6-0 mark at 3-4, with five more wins at No. 5. In doubles play, CNU has been almost unbeatable at No. 3, with two different pairings combining for a 13-2 record this season. CNU also has 10 wins at both the 1 and 2 lines, including five wins apiece for Harwood.
St. Mary's freshman Melissa Barall has stormed onto the scene in 2015, winning all 12 of her matches in dual action this season. The rookie is 10-0 at No. 2 and 2-0 at No. 3, helping the Sehawks post a 78.3% winning percentage in singles as a team this season. After Barall, a pair of St. Mary's players rank second on the team with nine wins apiece.
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