TEMPE, Ariz. -- With her selection at No. 3 in the Atlantic South region, Christopher Newport rookie Raine Weis makes history as the highest ranked individual in program history according to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) regional rankings. The organization announced updated rankings last Thursday, listing Weis and Tessa Trate among the ranked singles players as well as the pair together ranked No. 5 in the region. 

Led by the underclassmen duo, the Captains also were ranked No. 7 in the Atlantic South as a team. Led by head coach David Weiner in his fifth season at the helm, the Christopher Newport women's tennis team has made historical progress in the last calendar year. Last May, senior Reagan Delp secured the first All-America certificate in program history when she reached the NCAA Division III Women's Tennis Singles Championship Quarterfinals and subsequently finished the year ranked a program-best No. 6 in the Atlantic South. Now, Weis bested that mark by three, sitting as one of the top three players in the region according to voters on April 22. 

Weis was 3-2 in singles play during the first semester and has since piled on an impressive 10-4 record in dual action this Spring. Her 13 wins are a team-high this year and the most by a first-year player since 2016-17 when Johanna Ranta-aho set a freshman year record with 21 wins. Weis is coming off one of the biggest individual wins in program history when she disposed of Mary Washington's No. 1 Abby Moghtader (6-3, 6-3), who was ranked No. 3 in the region prior to that matchup. 

Earlier this season, Weis also picked up a thrilling three-set win against nationally-ranked Gabi Moss (7-5, 3-6, 10-8) from Washington and Lee. She has closed out the spring season on fire, winning seven of her last eight matches in singles play while also moving up to No. 1 and going 2-0 on the top line. 

Additionally, Weis has paired with Tessa Trate to earn the No. 5 designation in doubles play this season. This spring, the CNU tandem has won eight matches at No. 1 doubles while posting a 2-1 record against regionally-ranked opponents. One of the biggest wins of the year came against Carnegie Mellon University on March 8 when they topples the fifth-ranked pairing in the country, Lindy Cornwall and Bin Zheng, by a final score of 8-6. 

Joining Weis in the singles rankings is Trate, who was the first freshman in program history to finish her first year ranked in both singles and doubles play a year ago. In her second season, Trate has picked up eight more singles wins in 2021-22 with four at No. 1 singles in dual play this spring. She is ranked No. 12 in the Atlantic South Region in the most recent poll. 

As a team, the Captains are 7-7 in matches this Spring and are ranked No. 7 in the Atlantic South poll. 

The next official rankings will be released by the ITA on May 5 and will serve as the final rankings before the NCAA Championships. The final poll will be announced on June 2.