WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Defending champion William & Mary hosts the 2023 Colonial Athletic Association Women's Tennis Championship at the Mackesy Tennis Center, April 20-23. The Tribe, which has won 27 of the 37 all-time league titles, is the top seed this season for the 19th time in the last 26 years.

The Tribe opens play in the first quarterfinal against No. 9 North Carolina A&T on Friday, April 21, at 9 a.m. The Aggies knocked off No. 8 Hampton, 4-3, in the opening round of the tournament on Thursday. The semifinals are set for Saturday with the championship to follow on Sunday at 2 p.m.

Admission is free to all matches at the CAA Women's Tennis Championship.
  
Tribe News and Notes
- The Tribe enters the CAA Championship as the No. 1 seed for the 19th time in the last 26 tournaments. W&M won the league title in 15 of those events and advanced to the championship every year at the top seed. The Tribe is the No. 1 seed for the first time since 2019.
- The Green and Gold has won six of its last seven matches and enters the CAA Championship at 12-5 on the season. W&M is 25-14 (.641) in its two seasons under head coach Jessica Giuggioli, including a 13-1 mark against CAA competition.
- The Tribe went 5-0 against the CAA this season. W&M posted wins over No. 2 seed Delaware (4-3), No. 4 Elon (6-1), No. 6 UNCW (6-1), No. 8 Hampton (7-0) and No. 12 Towson (7-0).
- The Tribe will face North Carolina A&T for the first time. The Aggies joined the CAA over the summer.
- The trio of senior Elisa Van Meeteren (No. 2/No. 3) and sophomores Hedda Gurholt (No. 1) and Emma Fernald (No. 4) went a perfect 5-0 in CAA singles action this season. Sophomore Ine  Stange was also undefeated in CAA play, going 3-0.
- As freshmen in 2022, Stange, Fernald and Gurholt made a significant impact in the CAA Championship run. Stange was named the CAA Most Outstanding Performer of the CAA Championship, going 3-0 at No. 5. Fernald won two tournament singles matches, including the clinching come-from-behind three-set win in the title match vs. Elon. Gurholt won a pair of matches at No. 2 singles a season ago, including a key win in the Tribe's 4-3 win over Delaware in the semifinals.
- Gurholt has been on a tear at the top singles position in 2023. She has won seven in a row and owns a 13-3 mark at the top spot. Overall, Gurholt leads the Tribe with an 18-7 singles ledger. The reigning CAA Rookie of the Year is an impressive 41-18 (.695) in her first two seasons at W&M.
- Gurholt is the only CAA player to be named the league's player of the week on three occasions this season. The Tribe sophomore claimed the honor on Feb. 28, March 21, and April 11.
- Both Van Meeteren and Fernald are right behind Gurholt in terms of singles wins this season with 16 apiece. Van Meeteren owns eight wins at No. 2 and No. 3, while Fernald has won five in a row and is 9-5 at No. 4.
- The Tribe has won the doubles point in 10 of its 17 matches, including two of its last three contests.
- Stange and graduate student Sofiya Kuzina comprise the Tribe's top doubles team. The pair has been ranked throughout the spring and as high as No. 35 on Feb. 21. Stange and Kuzina are 10-2 in dual-match play, including a win over the No. 25-ranked team in the country from Maryland. The duo owns four wins at No. 1 and enters the CAA Tourney having won three in a row. The duo was also named the CAA Doubles Team of the Week on three occasions this season.
 
Dominating the CAA
W&M has a long history of dominating CAA competition, and more importantly the CAA Championship. The Tribe has won 27 of the CAA's 37 all-time women's tennis championships and finished as the runner-up on seven other occasions.
 
Since the league adopted its current, head-to-head team format for the CAA Championship in 1995, the Green and Gold is 66-9 (.880) at the event. Overall since the first season of CAA tennis, the Tribe is 159-23 (.874) all-time versus league opponents. In matches with current CAA teams, the Green and Gold owns a 56-5 (.918) all-time record.

W&M's Record in the CAA Tournament
All-Time Record: 66-9 (.880)
Quarterfinals: 24-1 (.960)
Semifinals: 24-2 (.923)
Championship: 18-6 (.750)
* the CAA moved to a head-to-head team championship in 1995

CAA Championships: 27 (1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022)
 
CAA Championship Schedule
Thursday, April 20 – First Round
Match #1 – 9 a.m. - #9 N.C. A&T def. #8 Hampton, 4-3
Match #2 - 12 p.m. - #5 Stony Brook def. #12 Towson, 4-0
Match #3 – 3 p.m. - #7 Drexel def. #10 Monmouth, 4-1
Match #4 - 6 p.m. - #6 UNCW def. #11 Hofstra, 4-0

Friday, April 21 - Quarterfinals
Match #5 – 9 a.m. - #1 William & Mary vs. #9 N.C. A&T - Live Scoring
Match #6 - 12 p.m. - #4 Elon vs. #5 Stony Brook - Live Scoring
Match #7 – 3 p.m. - #2 Delaware vs. #7 Drexel - Live Scoring
Match #8 - 6 p.m. - #3 Charleston vs. #6 UNCW - Live Scoring

Saturday, April 22 - Semifinals
Match #9 – 12 p.m. - Winner of Match #5 vs. Winner of Match #6 - Live Scoring
Match #10 – 3 p.m. - Winner of Match #7 vs. Winner of Match #8 - Live Scoring

Sunday, April 23 - Championship
Match #11 - 2 p.m. - Winner of Match #9 vs. Winner of Match #10 - Live Scoring