SWARTHMORE, Pa. -- In a matchup between nationally-ranked programs in the Atlantic South region, the Garnet of Swarthmore College managed to hold off the Captains of Christopher Newport (9-7) on Saturday afternoon in a close match, 4-3. Playing at the Mullan Tennis Center, CNU secured three singles wins but the host Garnet improved to 7-4 with the win. 

The tightly contested matchup featured a pair of singles matches that were into a third set tiebreaker and six total sets in the outing stretched to a decisive seventh game. Two of those came in doubles competition as the teams split a pair of hard-fought 7-6 decisions at No. 1 and 2. 

Regionally-ranked Nathalie Williams and Lola Diaz halted a seven-match winning streak for the Captains' top tandem, Raine Weis and Kylie Schaefer. The duo fell, 7-6, extending a streak that has seen the CNU pair force a seventh game in all four of their dual losses in the Spring. In the No. 2 bout between Kendal Chang and Samantha Robertson for CNU and Kathleen Shiffer and Erin Li for Swarthmore, the Captains staved off the loss trailing 5-6 with back-to-back wins for the lone CNU doubles win. At No. 3, the hosts earned the doubles point with a 6-4 win to capture two of the three matches. 

In singles play, the Captains fell behind, 3-0, before Kendal Chang got CNU on the scoreboard with a 7-5, 6-3 win at No. 3. The rookie defeated Lola Diaz to trim the lead to one, 3-1, but the clinching point came next when Swarthmore won at No. 6. 

Following the team setback, the remaining matches would go Christopher Newport's way. Eva Taylor won at No. 4 against Kathleen Shiffer (7-6, 4-6, 1-0) and Samantha Robertson closed out a 2-0 day with a win at No. 5 against Ella Strickler (5-7, 7-5, 1-0). Robertson has won seven in a row and eight of her last nine singles matches while ripping off five of six wins in doubles play. 

Christopher Newport will close out a three-match road trip this weekend by traveling to Chestertown, Md. for an 11:00 a.m. matchup at Washington College (Md.). Live stats will be available online with the link found on the women's tennis schedule at CNUsports.com or by clicking here.