LEXINGTON, Va. -- The nationally-ranked Christopher Newport women's tennis team will open up the spring portion of their schedule with a tough test on Saturday afternoon on the road. The Captains will play two matches away from home, facing 16th-ranked Washington & Lee University at Noon, followed by a Capital Athletic Conference bout against Southern Virginia University at 5:00 pm.
The Captains opened up their dual schedule in the fall with a 1-1 record and will be taking on the Generals with a 4-0 record. The Knights will be taking on CNU for their first match of the season in neutral site action in Lexington, Va.
The fall season was highlighted by the spectacular debut of freshman
Johanna Ranta-aho, who earned the highest individual ranking in program history following the hot start. Ranta-aho is ranked 36th in the ITA Singles Poll, headlining the CNU group which is ranked 32nd as a whole.
The rookie put together the finest run in program history at the ITA Southeast Regional Championship, reaching the semifinals in the championship singles draw. She won four straight matches before falling to then 7th-ranked Ashnaa Rao.
The Captains now boast a pair of players who have been nationally-ranked during their career, as junior
McKinney Harwood also returns to the lineup this spring. Harwood was tabbed as the 49th-best player in her rookie season and has been at the top line in each of her first two seasons. Senior
Katie Carlson also returns after an injury sidelined the veteran starter for the fall season.
The first match of the day Saturday will be the Captains' third straight match against a nationally-ranked opponent. The Generals have raced out to a 4-0 start with wins over four ODAC programs during the last week. The preseason favorite to win the conference, Washington & Lee has yet to drop a single team point.
Southern Virginia opens with CNU and then will play three straight home matches between March 1-3 against non-league opponents. The Knights finished last season with a 5-9 overall record, and a 2-5 mark in conference play. Senior Kari Stollenwerk leads the way for the conference foe after posting a 5-9 mark primarily at No. 2 singles last season.
After Saturday's action, the Captains will embark on their annual cross-country spring break trip to California, where CNU will face four teams from the Golden State between March 4-10.
