Generals Dominate Singles to Conclude Strong Weekend at Christopher Newport

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A shaky start in doubles quickly gave way to authority in singles as the Washington and Lee women’s tennis team imposed itself on the final day of the Christopher Newport Invite, taking six of nine matches from the host Captains on Sunday.

The day opened with a 1–2 setback in doubles. It could have lingered. It didn’t.

The Generals reset, stepped onto the singles courts, and tore through the lineup, winning five of six, every one of those victories coming in straight sets.

First-years Susanna Whitehead and Manavi Bedi led the charge with the kind of scorelines that stop you mid-scroll. Whitehead rolled to a 6–2, 6–0 win, then Bedi went one better, delivering a flawless 6–0, 6–0 performance that underlined the depth already emerging in W&L’s rookie class.

The underclass surge didn’t stop there. Sophomore Sarah Ladd ground out one of the day’s most competitive contests, closing a 6–2, 7–6 (4) win that demanded composure in the tiebreak. On the neighboring court, fellow sophomore Margarette Berdy had already seized control of her match, leading Christopher Newport’s Anna Bong 6–2, 2–1 when Berdy advanced by default.

The lone doubles win of the day for Washington and Lee also came from that youth movement. Ladd and Whitehead combined to produce a 6–2 victory over Molly Miller and Kylie Schaefer, a result that hinted at a partnership with real upside as the season unfolds.

Higher up the ladder, the experience showed. Junior Mary Kate Kahl quietly put together a perfect singles weekend, improving to 2–0 with a 6–1, 7–5 win over Lindsey Bergelin. The first set flew by; the second demanded a steadier hand as the pressure rose. Kahl found it, and with it, another point for the Generals.

Not everything on the schedule found closure. After going unfinished against Hampton on Saturday while sitting on match point in doubles, Washington and Lee never got the chance to resume that contest against the Pirates on Sunday. The opportunity slipped away with the format, but the level of play stayed firmly in place.

Now the Generals head back to Lexington with momentum and clarity. The next stop is the ITA Southeast Region Championships at the University of Mary Washington from September 25–28, a stage that will test both their new faces and their returning core.

On this evidence, they won’t be arriving quietly.