NEW LONDON, N.H. - The Colby-Sawyer women's tennis team has officially joined the Conference of New England and will be looking to make a splash in year one.

Key Match-ups:

The Chargers opened up their season against the Western New England Golden Bears to open up their CNE era. They would take down the Golden Bears with a 6-1 win as the Chargers swept through doubles and take five out of the six singles. Maria Espionsa Lopez (Merida, Mexico) and Sky Jara (South Hamilton, Mass.) would take home their single sets with 6-0 victories in their match-ups.

The Chargers will continue their season with a string of conference games against Roger Williams University, a team they lost 6-3 against back in Spring of 2024. University of New England will follow that match, marking the first time the school has had an official game against the Nor'Easters
The Chargers will then head to Rhode Island to play at the International Tennis Hall of Fame against Salve Regina on September 25th. This historic match for the Chargers will be followed by the ITA Regionals where they will head to Vermont to take on Middlebury College on the 26th. 

The Chargers will then travel to Connecticut for a GNAC finals rematch, but this time in the CNE as they will play University of Saint Joseph's (Conn.), a team Colby-Sawyer has beaten 10 straight times. The biggest matches of the year for the Chargers come in October as they kick off the month against Nichols College. Colby-Sawyer will end their season against Endicott, a team the Chargers have their eyes on, and calendars marked. Since the two teams started meeting in 1988, the Chargers are 15-17 all time Endicott, looking for their first win since 2019.

Players to Watch:

The reigning GNAC Player of the Year, Payton Dugan (Vincennes, Ind.) will look to have a strong second year with the Chargers, as she went undefeated in conference play a year ago. Espinosa Lopez will be another Chargers to look out for. The Junior has had a strong career for the program so far, helping the Chargers win the last two years in the GNAC. Senior, Isabella Gutierrez will look to have a fantastic last year, as she seeks her fourth title in four years with the program. Gutierrez finished her Junior year as the tournament MVP in their championship game against the Blue Jays last Fall. 

Sky Jara (South Hamilton, Mass.) and Avery Nielson (Thornhill, Ontario) will not only be strong as a doubles team this year, but will also be looking to have strong individual season. Both sophomores played a vital role in the Chargers championship last year, and both will be looking to do the same in their new conference. 

Callie Valeri (New London, N.H.) like Gutierrez, will look to have a strong final season with the Chargers. The Senior will seek her fourth conference title in four years, especially making history with her first in the CNE.