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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- For the fourth straight season, the nationally-ranked Christopher Newport women's tennis team advanced to the Capital Athletic Conference Championship with a semifinal victory over #3-seeded Salisbury University on Tuesday afternoon. Playing on a beautiful sunny day on the James T. & Sarah C. Eyre Courts in Newport News, the Captains won, 5-1, and advance to face top-seeded Mary Washington this weekend. 

The Captains won two of the three doubles matches and then quickly clinched the win with three wins in singles play. It will be the fourth straight matchup between CNU and Mary Washington in the CAC Finals. That match will be played on Saturday, May 5 with a time to be determined.  

In Tuesday's semifinal matchup, the Captains took a 2-1 lead with wins at No. 2 and 3 doubles. Seniors Emily Morgan and Isabelle Wessel kicked off the win with an 8-2 win at No. 3, downing Sage Cole and Taylor Cooper. The Captains also picked up the win at No. 2 when Alexandra Drye and Johanna Ranta-aho dispatched of Jordan Schaefer and Sydney Soto, 8-5.  

Ranta-aho continued her win streak at No. 1 singles with her third win over a regionally-ranked opponent this season. The CNU sophomore dropped Annika Kezman, ranked 13th in the Atlantic South, in straight sets, 6-2, 6-0. It was her 14th straight victory as the second-year player improved to 18-4 this season. 

A pair of seniors wrapped up the semifinal match with the next two wins, as Alexandra Drye lost just one game at No. 6 against Shannon Hickman en route to a quick 6-0, 6-1 victory. Isabelle Wessel clinched the match for CNU with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Jordan Schaefer at No. 5. 

In the remaining three matches, CNU captured wins in the first set of each unfinished bout. Senior McKinney Harwood returned to the courts for CNU at No. 2 and dropped Julia Kwedi 6-1 in the first set; Kate Huck was leading 6-3, 5-4 over Taylor Cooper at No. 3; and Claire Dockrill led 6-3, 3-3 at No. 4 over Sydney Soto. 

CNU improved to 13-5 this season while Salisbury fell to 15-7 overall this year.