NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – What began as a shaky Sunday in doubles ended as a statement in singles for the Washington and Lee women’s tennis team at the Christopher Newport Invite.
The Generals dropped two of three doubles courts to the host Captains, then stormed through singles, claiming five of six matches and seizing control of the day.
The turnaround started with the first-years, and it started emphatically.
Susanna Whitehead and Manavi Bedi wasted little time announcing themselves. Whitehead rolled to a 6-2, 6-0 win, imposing her game with a scoreline that tightened the grip on the session. Bedi went one better on paper, not dropping a single game in a ruthless 6-0, 6-0 performance that underlined the depth in Washington and Lee’s lineup.
The upper classes backed them up.
Sophomore Sarah Ladd ground out one of the day’s few tight contests, closing a 6-2, 7-6 (4) victory that demanded composure in the second-set tiebreak. On the adjacent court, fellow sophomore Margarette Berdy had already taken command of her match. She led Christopher Newport’s Anna Bong 6-2, 2-1 when Bong was forced to retire, handing Berdy the win but doing little to change the sense that Berdy had already seized control.
Junior Mary Kate Kahl added another layer of reliability to the afternoon. Already 1-0 in singles for the weekend, she made it 2-0 with a 6-1, 7-5 win over Lindsey Bergelin, tightening the screws late in the second set to close out a clean personal weekend.
The day hadn’t started with that kind of authority.
In doubles, the Captains struck first, taking two of the three courts and putting Washington and Lee under early pressure. The Generals did carve out one bright spot: Ladd and Whitehead combined for a 6-2 win over Molly Miller and Kylie Schaefer, a pairing that carried its chemistry straight into singles and set the tone for the eventual swing in momentum.
One loose doubles session, then a surge of singles dominance. The pattern matched the Generals’ broader weekend in Newport News, where even unfinished business carried a hint of frustration. Their doubles match against Hampton on Saturday had reached match point before going unfinished, and there was no chance to resume it on Sunday against the Pirates.
Now the road turns back to Lexington.
With the Christopher Newport Invite in the books, Washington and Lee head home to prepare for one of the key early tests of their fall – the ITA Southeast Region Championships at the University of Mary Washington from September 25–28. The form shown in singles on Sunday suggests they won’t be arriving quietly.
