NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- On a brisk but sunny afternoon at the James T. and Sarah C. Eyre Courts, the 25th-ranked Christopher Newport women's tennis team raced past Salisbury University (9-4) in Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference action, 8-1. The Captains improved to 7-6 overall while handing the Sea Gulls just their fourth loss of the season.
The win for CNU halted a four-match winning streak for Salisbury while extending their own roll to three straight victories. The Captains have won six of the last seven matches this season and are now above .500 for the first time in 2022.
The victory comes on the heels of fresh national and regional rankings released by the ITA late this week. The Captains are now ranked in the top-25 as a team while
Tessa Trate and
Raine Weis held their position in the Atlantic South doubles rankings. Trate also surged up to No. 10 in the Atlantic South singles rankings after her strong spring season.
Weis and Trate added to their doubles resume on Saturday by making quick work of Salisbury's No. 1 pair, Veronica Cuellar and Katherine Tamesis. The Captains won their match, 8-2, and are now 8-5 on the season for a team-best doubles record. CNU also won at No. 3 with a wide margin as
Kiersten Chang and
Karina Crivtonencu defeated Hannah Carter and Sarah Cooper by a final score of 8-3.
The No. 2 doubles bout went down to the wire, but it was the home Captains who snuck away with an 8-7 (3) win on the line.
Megan Bauer and
Kendra Womack paired up for a thrilling win over Elizabeth Christine and Sarah Dover.
Weis and Chang would go on to capture two-win days for the Captains with straight set victories at 1 and 2, respectively, in singles play. Weis downed Cuellar on the top line (6-2, 6-2) and Chang earned her first career win at No. 2 over Sarah Dover (6-1, 6-2).
Mia Linam was leading her match at No. 3, 3-0, before being forced to withdraw to an injury, surrendering Salisbury's lone point in the match. The Captains went on to secure victories at 4, 5, and 6 with
Anna Campbell,
Ana Clara Borga, and
Lucy Davis picking up the wins.
Campbell outlasted her opponent, Elizabeth Christine, at No. 4 in the first set before running away for the win in set number two (7-5, 6-0); Borga dropped a team-low three games in her win over Cooper at No. 5 (6-0, 6-3); and, Davis rolled past Carter at No. 6 (6-3, 6-2).
The Captains improved to 7-6 on the season and will look to carry their momentum into a match against No. 24 Johns Hopkins University on Sunday afternoon. Match time is set for 2:00 pm at the Eyre Courts.
