FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- The 33rd-ranked CNU women's tennis team suffered an 8-1 loss on the road Saturday afternoon, downed by 18th-ranked Mary Washington in Capital Athletic Conference action. The Captains fall to 11-6 overall with a 4-1 mark in league play while the Eagles improved to 16-3 overall and 7-0 in league play.  Sophomore Alexandra Drye captured the lone point on the day for Christopher Newport, winning at No.  5 singles. 

Drye, who has been one of the team's top players in doubles action, earned one of her biggest singles wins of the year when she toppled Mackenzie Smith in conference play. It was just her fourth singles win of the season, but third in CAC action, as she picked up a hotly contested battle against the Mary Washington senior. Drye won the first set, 6-2, but Smith answered to force a third set with a 6-2 win in the second. The two teetered back and forth in the third set before reaching a 6-6 deadlock and forcing a tiebreaker, where Drye dominated for a 7-6 (1) win. 

Meili Konell was involved in another close singles match at No. 6, and was leading her opponent in the second set, 5-4, before a late rally did in the Captains' sophomore. Facing another Mary Washington senior, Christina Gaul, Konell suffered a 6-3, 7-5 setback. 

All six singles matchups saw the Captains pick up multiple game victories, but the Eagles managed to pull away for the win in five of them. Kate Huck won three games in the first set at No. 3, as did Katie Carlson in the No. 2 matchup. At the top line, McKinney Harwood rebounded after a tough first set and picked up three games in the second.  

The Eagles raced out to a 3-0 lead after doubles, winning 8-2, 8-4 and 8-1. Drye and partner Emily Morgan had the most success for CNU at No. 2 doubles. 

Christopher Newport will now close out conference play on Sunday, traveling North to face York College (Pa.) and Penn State Harrisburg at 9:00 am and 2:30 pm, respectively. The Captains will look to bounce back after the tough loss on Saturday, and solidify its place in the CAC playoffs with its final two regular season conference matches.