ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Navy women's tennis (19-6, 2-0 Patriot League) is back on the road this weekend as it travels to West Point, N.Y., to take on Army (15-5, 4-0 Patriot League) in the annual Star Match as part of the Army-Navy Star Series, presented by USAA. First serve between Army and Navy is set for Saturday at 11 a.m. If the match is played indoors, live video for all six courts will be available
here.
In the overall 2018-19 Army-Navy Star Series, presented by USAA, the Black Knights hold a narrow 9-8 lead over the Midshipmen. Navy has earned Star victories in volleyball, women's soccer, women's cross country, women's swimming & diving, men's swimming & diving, rifle, gymnastics and men's basketball. Women's tennis will be the first of seven Stars up for grabs in the spring. This weekend also begins a stretch of four-straight weekends where at least one Star is on the line
Navy comes into the weekend with an eight-match winning streak after winning its first two Patriot League matches this past weekend at Lehigh and Colgate. The Midshipmen started league play with a 6-1 victory over the Mountain Hawks last Saturday and then swept Colgate, 7-0, on Sunday to finish out the weekend.
In the two victories last weekend,
Kaylah Hodge surpassed the 100-win mark in her career with two singles victories at No. 2 and then a doubles win against Lehigh at No. 3 doubles. This season, Hodge has 11 singles wins and 12 doubles victories, while compiling a career mark of 47-33 in singles and a 53-21 doubles record.
This season, Navy has had a balanced lineup with 11 individuals posting double-digit wins in singles and doubles. A pair of freshmen have paced the Midshipmen in both disciplines with
Kacey Moore leading the team with a record of 22-2 in singles matches and
Annalise Klopfer has gone 20-4 in doubles competition.
Klopfer is nearing the single-season record for most doubles wins in a season as she is four behind the record of 24, which was set by three players from last year's team.
Miranda Deng is just behind Klopfer with a record of 19-6 in doubles matches this season. In the singles record book, Moore is one win away from cracking the top 10 in singles victories in a season and is seven wins behind
Amanda Keller's 29-win season during the 2014-15 season.
Army enters the Star Match on a six-match winning streak and has started Patriot League play with four-straight shutouts. Last weekend, the Black Knights beat Holy Cross and Loyola by a pair 5-0 score lines and Army then won a 4-0 decision against Lafayette. Of Army's seven league matches this season, four will be at home in an eight-day span.
MaryJo Pidgeon has a team-leading 17-2 record this year and has gone 8-0 in dual matches this season. Paola Bou is tied with Pidgeon at 17 wins, but has dropped three matches and is 9-1 in dual singles matches. In doubles, the pair of Hannah Boubel and Sasha Inchauste have a team-best 10-6 record as a pair. Overall, Bou has gone 18-5 in doubles and is 10-4 in the spring season.
Last season, Army and Navy met twice. The Midshipmen won the Star Match over the Black Knights in a 7-0 contest at home. However, in the Patriot League Championship Match, Army edged Navy for the tournament title in a 4-2 contest in West Point, N.Y.
First serve on Saturday will be at 11 a.m. in West Point, N.Y.
