Generals Dominate Singles at Christopher Newport Invite

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A slow start in doubles barely left a mark on the Generals by the end of Sunday. What began as a 1–2 hole against host Christopher Newport turned into a commanding day’s work, as the Washington and Lee women’s tennis team stormed through singles to take six of nine total matches at the Christopher Newport Invite.

The response was ruthless.

After dropping two of three doubles contests, the Generals seized control by winning five of six singles matches, every one of them in straight sets. The first-years led the charge.

Susanna Whitehead set the tone with a crisp 6–2, 6–0 victory, tightening the screws early and never loosening them. On the next court, fellow newcomer Manavi Bedi was even more unforgiving, dealing out a 6–0, 6–0 sweep that underlined the depth already emerging in the Generals’ lineup.

The upper classes matched that edge.

Sophomore Sarah Ladd ground out one of the day’s tighter scorelines, closing a 6–2, 7–6 (4) win that demanded composure in the second-set tiebreak. Nearby, classmate Margarette Berdy had one foot on the finish line when her match ended by default; she led Christopher Newport’s Anna Bong 6–2, 2–1 when the contest was halted, banking another singles point for Washington and Lee.

The turnaround had actually begun on the doubles courts.

Ladd and Whitehead provided the lone doubles win for the Generals, stitching together a 6–2 result over Molly Miller and Kylie Schaefer. That victory didn’t just salvage the session; it gave Washington and Lee a foothold, a pairing that carried its sharpness straight into singles play.

Junior Mary Kate Kahl added another steady note to the afternoon. Already 1–0 in singles on the weekend, she moved to 2–0 with a 6–1, 7–5 win over Lindsey Bergelin, navigating a tighter second set to close out the match and cap a dominant singles sweep for the established core.

Not everything on the schedule found closure. After their doubles match against Hampton went unfinished on Saturday with the Generals sitting on match point, there was no opportunity to resume against the Pirates on Sunday. That storyline will have to wait.

What won’t wait is the next test.

The Generals now head back to Lexington, trading the coastal air of Newport News for the mountain backdrop of their home campus, where preparations begin for the ITA Southeast Region Championships at the University of Mary Washington from September 25–28. With first-years already firing and veterans banking early wins, the question is no longer whether this group can compete in the region—it’s how far they can push the standard this fall.