NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- A year after setting a program record with the highest preseason national ranking in program history, the Christopher Newport women's tennis team will start the 2026 spring season in the top 25 once again, tied for 24th in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Rankings. The Captains will start the year ranked with a top-25 designation for the fourtime in the 48-year history of women's tennis at Christopher Newport. 

Starting the year tied with NYU, the Captains are the highest ranked team in the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference and second only to No. 19 Washington and Lee in the state of Virginia. Defending national champion WashU maintained its position at the top of the poll and the rest of the top five in order are Chicago, Pomona-Pitzer, Emory, and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. 

Last season, CNU started the season ranked No. 17 in the nation and climbed to a program-high 14th during the year. At season's end, the Captains were ranked No. 31 in the nation in the final poll. 

This year, the Captains have started out the fall season with 15 wins in singles play and eight more in doubles action with three tournament appearances. Sophomore Kendal Chang led the way for CNU in the fall with four singles wins and three in pairs play with partner Samantha Robertson. 

CNU returns three VaSID All-State selections and five All-Conference picks from the 2024-25 season. Kylie Schaefer, one half of the 2025 Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference Doubles Team of the Year, was a first team All-Conference pick in both singles and doubles last season. Chang also earned first team All-C2C plaudits in singles and, with Robertson, was a second team All-Conference selection in doubles play. Lindsey Bergelin and Erin Gross also earned All-League honors for the Captains and return to the lineup this season. 

The Captains finished the year with  13-7 overall record and captured a second straight conference championship. The 13 wins were a season-high under head coach David Weiner and CNU posted 10-3 record in home matches.