ORLANDO, Fla. -- After making history for the Christopher Newport women's tennis program by taking the courts at the USTA Collegiate Center on Friday, the Captains' young national qualifiers concluded play at the 2022 NCAA Division III Women's Tennis Singles and Doubles Championships. Sophomore Tessa Trate and rookie Raine Weis paired for the Captains' first ever doubles appearance and Weis became the first player in program history to compete in both championships. 

Early in the day, Weis faced a fellow freshman from the NESCAC as she took on Tufts' rookie Elle Christensen. The Captains newcomer raced out to a 2-1 lead in the first set before Christensen settled in and pulled away for a 6-2 win. Weis also picked up a game in the second set before falling in a 6-2, 6-1 final. 

She is the first freshman in CNU women's tennis history to qualify for the national championships and the Captains have had representation in four consecutive postseason tournaments (Johanna Ranta-aho in 2018, 2019 and Reagan Delp in 2021). 

Later in the day, the Captains took on the 16-team tandem tournament in the first round against Case Western Reserve's regionally-ranked pairing of Hannah Kassaie and Lily McCloskey. The Spartans rookie combo raced out to a 6-1 win in the first set but the Captains would not go down without a fight in the second. Despite trailing the second set, 5-0, Weis and Trate rallied. 

Facing elimination, Weis played a sensational forehand winner down the line behind her Case Western counterpart to gain advantage. Moments later, Trate forced the Spartans into an errant shot wide left and the Captains extended the second set with the late game winner. With momentum, Trate and Weis rolled to a quick win in the next game to close the gap, 5-2, breaking the Case Western serve. 

Trate took her spot beyond the end line next and despite a lengthy rally on the final point, Kassaie and McCloskey finished off a 6-1, 6-2 win against the Captains. 

The CNU pair finished the year with 10 wins in 16 matches as a duo. They went 10-5 in duals this Spring and faced five regionally-ranked opponents over the course of the season. The ten victories together at No. 1 is tied with Lisa Fuzy and Julie Viers from 1997 for the tenth most in program history.  

After a spectacular first season in 2020-21, Trate now has 19 career wins in doubles play, including 18 at the No. 1 position. Despite just two seasons, Trate is now just four wins shy of the top-ten in program history for wins on the top line. Her second-semester partner, Weis, is 14-8 in both singles and doubles after her first year.

Christopher Newport finished the 2022 spring season with an 8-8 overall record and the most national qualifiers in program history. It marks the first time in the 44-year history of CNU women's tennis that more than one individual attended the NCAA Division III Singles and Doubles national championships.