LEXINGTON, Va. -- Closing out the 2026 Groundhog Palooza hosted by Washington and Lee University, the nationally-ranked Christopher Newport women's tennis team dropped a 4-0 decision to No. 18 Case Western Reserve (3-1) on Sunday morning. The match was played to completion to assist teams in traveling ahead of the impending winter storm. 

In doubles action, the margin was razor thin as the teams split a pair of tiebreak victories at No. 1 and 2. The Spartans logged the team point with a win at No. 3 and captured a big shift in momentum heading into singles play. 

At No. 1 doubles, Lindsey Bergelin paired with Kylie Schaefer to take on Gabby Lee and Katalina Wang. The CNU duo stretched CWRU to a tiebreak before falling by a score of 7-6 (4). The match at No. 2 was equally as exciting, with CNU capturing a 7-6 (7) win behind Kendal Chang and Samantha Robertson. They took down Emma Thomas and Katie Wong. 

In singles, the Spartans won at No. 3 and 4 to come within one point of clinching the match. On the top line, Chang rebounded from a first set loss to Wang but ultimately dropped a three-set decision to close out the setback 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. 

CNU was originally scheduled to play Washington and Lee on Sunday, but that match was postponed. A makeup date will be announced on the women's tennis schedule when it is decided. The Captains will return to action next week as they travel to Orlando, Florida for three matches against Carnegie Mellon (March 2), Gustavus Adolphus (March 3), and Kenyon (March 5).