NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Four Christopher Newport freshmen were welcomed to collegiate tennis with a tough test in their debut as the Captains took on Division I Norfolk State University (2-3) on a beautiful March day at the James T. and Sarah C. Eyre Courts. The Captains took a 4-1 lead over their out-of-division foes, but the Spartans responded by winning the last four singles match to edge out the home team, 5-4. 

The hotly contested bout featured a pair of three-set singles matches that would eventually decide the match. Norfolk State pulled out the wins at lines one and four despite first set victories by the Captains Reagan Delp and Kiersten Chang. 

Amanda Yermal had the best day for Christopher Newport, capturing a pair of team points for the Captains with a win at No. 1 doubles followed by a straight set victory at No. 5 singles. Yermal paired with rookie Tessa Trate for an 8-5 win at 1 doubles as the duo downed Paula Frotuno and Laura Ruiz. She then advanced to singles play and defeated Lydia Oviedo (6-2, 6-3) for her first singles win of the year. 

Trate also captured her first career singles win by dispatching Anrea Barcenas at the No. 2 singles matchup, 6-4, 6-1. WIth those two players accounting for three of the Captains four points, CNU's last tally came from the No. 3 doubles tandem. Rookies Chang and Megan Bauer paired up for an 8-5 win against Barcenas and Oviedo as Christopher Newport took a 2-1 lead out of doubles. 

In singles action, Trate and Yermal got wins while Delp and Chang each won 6-4 in the first before their Spartan counterparts responded with 6-3 second set wins. Around them, Norfolk State had picked up wins at No. 3 and 6 singles, pulling within one at 4-3. Fortuno finished off the win at No. 1 singles (4-6, 6-3, 6-3) and Goncalves outlasted Chang (4-6, 6-3, 7-5) to squeak out the win for the visitors. 

Christopher Newport falls to 0-1 and will return to action on Saturday, March 13 as they welcome St. Mary's (Md.) and Sweet Briar for a pair. Fans hoping to attend the match in person should refer to the Captains Outdoor Spectator Policy for specific guidelines. The first match will begin at 11:00 am and the afternoon bout is scheduled for a 2:00 pm start.