REDLANDS, Calif. -- For the second consecutive year, the nationally-ranked Christopher Newport women's tennis team will be coming home from the West Coast with one of the biggest wins in program history. Last season, the Captains earned the program's first ever win over a Top 25 team when it downed No. 23 La Verne; this year, it was No. 24 Redlands that CNU dispatched, by a final score of 6-3. 

Avenging a 5-4 setback to the Bulldogs last season, the Captains won a pair of doubles matches and four singles bouts to capture the win against Redlands. Junior Kate Huck clinched the victory with a hard-fought battle at No. 3 singles, winning over Elizabeth Johnson; 6-3, 7-6 (5). 

Before Huck's match-clinching win, the Captains raced out to a 2-1 advantage in doubles action. Huck and rookie Johanna Ranta-aho picked up the win at No. 2 doubles, downing Emily Murnin and Jackie Lacy. In the No. 3 bout, senior Katie Carlson and junior Emily Morgan paired for an 8-3 win over Madison Ross and Claire Bohoskey.  

Alexandra Drye and Claire Dockrill each grabbed straight set victories in singles, with Dockrill shutting out Bohoskey at No. 6; 6-0, 6-0. Drye earned a 6-4, 6-2 victory at No. 4 singles, taking down Lacy, and setting up Huck's win.  Rounding out the CNU victories was Ranta-aho at No. 2, bouncing back after a first set loss to Murnin before pulling away for the win; 2-6, 6-4, 6-2. 

The Captains improved to 5-3 with the win, which is the second over a nationally-ranked opponent this season. CNU finished 3-1 on the road trip to California and will now return home for three straight matches. The Captains are back in action on March 19, at 9:30 am, against Centre College, and at 2:00 pm, against Methodist University.