The Vixen tennis team completed their Virginia Beach area road trip with a non-conference match against Christopher Newport University (CNU) (#17 ITA/Atlantic South).  With near-perfect outdoor tennis conditions, the Vixens went into this fight hoping to continue their recent win-streak, but were stopped short with a 4-5 loss to the solid team from CNU.

In three very competitive and action-packed doubles matches, CNU came out with a 2-1 lead over the Vixen team.  The first doubles team of Virginia Edahl ('10/Charlotte, N.C.) and Moriah Burke ('13/Rockville, Md.) were edged out by the CNU first doubles team by a score of 8-6.  At third doubles, Leslie Polaski ('10/Monroe, Va.) and Ann Roach ('13/North Oaks, Minn.) lost their pro-set, 8-4.

The doubles highlight for Sweet Briar was a well-played second court doubles match by sophomore Julia Green (Vancouver, Wash.) and first-year Sarah Manter (Brunswick, Maine).  With some solid serving percentages and decisive shot-making, the duo came from behind to win their team point by a score of 9-7.

The singles highlights include another victory at first singles for Virginia Edahl, who now has 102 career victories of singles and doubles at Sweet Briar College.  She dominated on her court to win in straight sets, 6-2, 6-0.

Moriah Burke also won handily at the second singles position, giving up only one game.  Her match scores were 6-0, 6-1.

The Vixens were struggling  on courts three, four, and five.  Krista Maldonado ('12/Ennis, Texas) was forced to retire early in the second set due to injury.  Her match was going in favor of her CNU opponent who won the first set 6-1, and was up 2-1 in the second. Both Glory Bowman ('13/Roanoke, Va.) and Ann Roach lost at courts four and five respectively, in straight sets.

The sixth singles court held by Julia Green went to a match tie-breaker for the third set as the match winner had been determined with five points to CNU.  Green won the first set 6-1, but lost the second 4-6.  Green held on with a mini-break of serve, down 9-10 in the tie-break to bring it to 11-10 in favor of Sweet Briar's Green.  Green's serve was too much for her CNU opponent, who blocked the ball back long over Green's baseline.  The match went to Green 12-0 in the third-set tie-breaker.  Final match score Vixens 4, Christopher Newport 5.

Sweet Briar tennis, now 13-4 overall, will be idle until their last conference match on April 20, 4:00pm on the courts of the Bridgewater Eagles.

______

Christopher Newport 5, Sweet Briar 4
Apr 11, 2010 at Newport News, Va. (CNU Courts)