TOWSON, Md. -- Christopher Newport senior Alec Strause and freshman Nesh Kumaresan held off a furious comeback at No. 1 doubles to capture a thrilling win on the top line, but the Captains suffered a 5-1 loss to fourth-ranked Middlebury College (16-3) in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The season comes to a close for the Captains, who wrap up the season with an 11-9 overall record. 

Taking on the fourth-ranked doubles pairing in the Northeast Region, Noah Laber and Aidan Harris, the Captains top tandem finished out the year on a high note with their 15th win of the season at No. 1 doubles. Strause and Kumaresan raced out to a 6-1 lead before the Panthers clawed back to within one game, 7-6, with the freshman on the line to win the match. Holding off one of the toughest opponents they have faced this season, the CNU duo held serve behind the rookie and captured an 8-6 win. 

The victory stands as only the second team point won by the Captains in the NCAA second round in program history after Dominic Lacombe secured the first with a singles win during the 2017 matchup against Johns Hopkins. As a pair, Kumaresan and Strause put together one of the finest single season performances in program history, ranking sixth on the all-time list in total wins at No. 1 and in the top-ten for doubles wins in a season overall.

CNU also got a good fight from Ashton Legum and Alex Seretis at No. 2 doubles before the Captains' pair succumbed to an 8-5 defeat to Neel Epstein and Robby Ward. Middlebury won at No. 3 doubles, 8-2, to take a 2-1 lead into singles. 

In individual play, the Captains scored multiple games in all but one matchup, but could not come up with enough for the upset over the top-five team. Strause was leading in the second set at No. 2 when the match was clinched; the senior won five games against Aidan Harris. Also picking up five games in his singles bout was Legum, who was taking on Robby Ward at No. 5 when the match finished up. 

Middlebury earned wins at No. 1, 3, and 4 to finish out the 5-1 win against the Captains. They improved to 16-3 overall and will take on either host and tenth-ranked Johns Hopkins or RPI in Sunday's third round match with a berth to the national quarterfinals on the line. 

Christopher Newport secured the most wins in a season since 2019 and wrapped up head coach Eric Christiansen's 11th season at the helm.