Complete Box ScoreREDLANDS, Calif. -- The 33rd-ranked Christopher Newport women's tennis team battled hard against their second Top 25 opponent in six days, but suffered their first loss to a Division III program this season as 21st-ranked Redlands held on for a 5-4 win. The Captains fall to 7-2 this season while the Bulldogs improve to 5-1.
The Captains took a 2-1 lead after doubles, but the match would come to the final singles pairing at No. 2, as
Katie Carlson stretched Emily Murnin to a third set. With the score knotted at 4-4, Murnin outlasted the CNU junior for a 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 victory to clinch the match.
In doubles action, the home team would take a 1-0 lead as Natalie Etchegaray and Lauren Villenueva picked up the first point at No. 1 doubles. CNU countered with back-to-back wins in pairs play, continuing their dominant stretch in doubles action.
Alexandra Drye and
Emily Morgan remained undefeated at No. 2 this season with an 8-3 win over Murnin and Elizabeth Johnson; and
Kate Huck played with
Isabelle Wessel at No. 3 for an 8-6 win over Kate Dolan and Gabriela Vasquez.
The momentum shifted in favor of Redlands early in singles action, as they took the lead, 3-2, with wins at No. 3 and No. 1 in straight sets. CNU evened things up behind
Claire Dockrill on the 5th line, as the CNU sophomore raced past Vasquez for a 6-2, 6-4 win. The teams traded victories at 4 and 6 to set up the dramatic deciding match at No. 2.
CNU picked up the win at No. 6 as Morgan made it a two-victory day by dropping Dolan. The second-year player for CNU won 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.
Christopher Newport will return to the courts for one more match in California, facing No. 40 Cal Lutheran on Saturday, March 5 at Noon (PST).
