NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Taking on the Pioneers from Grinnell College (8-2), the Christopher Newport women's tennis team captured a thrilling 4-3 victory at home on Sunday afternoon. The Captains improved to 3-5 overall with the win with Lindsey Bergelin sealing the victory at No. 6 singles. 

The Captains, ranked No. 25 in the ITA National Rankings, faced off against Grinnell at the Eyre Courts on a sparkling Sunday afternoon with sunshine and warm temperatures. 

In doubles action, Kendal Chang and Kylie Schaefer won at No. 1, but the Pioneers secured the doubles point with wins at No. 2 and 3. Chang and Schaefer earned a 6-1 win against Paige Sargent and Isa Voinescu on the top line. 

Moving into singles play, the match went back and forth with Chang securing the first team point for the Captains with a dominant win on the top line, 6-0, 6-2. Then Grinnell snuck back ahead with a win at No. 4, but veterans Schaefer and Samantha Robertson won back-to-back at 2 and 3 to pull back ahead, 3-2. 

Schaefer bounced back after an opening set loss to Sargent and captured a 4-6, 6-1, 6-0 win at No. 2 for CNU. Robertson outlasted Voinescu at No. 3 for a 6-4, 7-5 win. 

Not allowing Grinnell to tie, sophomore Lindsey Bergelin slammed the door with the clinching point at No. 6 against Nichole Henning. Bergelin won the matchup 6-2, 2-6, 6-3. 

Christopher Newport will next return to play this weekend as they host the Natalie Pitts Memorial Invitational, welcoming in teams from all over the country to participate over four days. CNU's first match will be against Whitman College on Thursday, March 19 at 12:30 p.m.