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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Hosting the final regular season match of the year at the Eyre Courts, the 20th-ranked Christopher Newport men's tennis team punctuated the career of senior Chiraag Shetty with a dominant 8-1 victory over regionally-ranked Salisbury University. Before playing on a sunny, but chilly afternoon in Newport News, Shetty was honored in a special pre-match Senior Day ceremony as the Captains' lone fourth-year player set out in his final home regular season match. 

The Yorktown, Va. native made sure it was a memorable senior day, winning both of his matches against the Sea Gulls, and helping the Captains run away with the league win. The first point for Shetty came in a showdown of regionally ranked duos, as the 5th-ranked Captains pairing of Shetty and junior Steven Boslet outlasted the 6th-ranked senior tandem of Eric Spangler and Shanon Gunther. The CNU pairing won the match, 8-5, helping the Captains sweep doubles action. 

At No. 2 doubles, Justin Cerny played with Sam Thomson for an 8-2 win to start the scoring, and at No. 3, Michael Dodd and Arttu Fiva closed out an 8-5 win to put CNU up 3-0 heading into singles play. 

Shetty continued his memorable performance by sliding up to No. 3 singles for just the second time this season. Facing Grant Hudson, the Captains' senior sacrificed just five games in a straight set victory, running away for a 6-1, 6-4 win for the Captains. It was the 45th career singles win for Shetty, who added his 53rd career doubles win. 

The lone loss of the day came at No. 1 singles, where Cerny suffered a loss to Spangler, ranked 10th in the Atlantic South Region.  CNU captured straight set wins in the other five singles battles from 2-6. Steven Boslet was challenged in his second set at No. 2 against Gunther, but the CNU junior won 6-2, 7-6 (2) while the three remaining lines were decided handily in favor of the Captains. Fiva defeated his foe at No. 4 (6-1, 6-3), Dodd downed his opponent at No. 5 (6-3, 6-0), and sophomore Dillon Sykes was flawless at No. 6 (6-0, 6-0). 

CNU wraps up its home schedule with a 6-2 overall record in Newport News, with the only losses coming to Division I opponents. The win against Salisbury improves CNU to 10-5 overall with a 4-0 record in league play, while the Sea Gulls fall to 8-7 overall and 3-2 in CAC action. 

The Captains will now hit the road for five straight to close out the regular season, including three more matches against nationally-ranked opponents. The next match comes this Saturday, April 9, as the Captains look to take down No. 27 Mary Washington on their home courts. The Eagles are 14-7 overall with a perfect 6-0 record atop the CAC standings. Saturday's match will begin at 1:00 pm.