WASHINGTON, D.C. – Navy women's tennis (10-2) rallied from an early deficit after dropping the doubles point and won four of the six singles matches to upend George Washington (3-4), 4-3, in the Midshipmen's first road match of the season.
 
Navy's win on Saturday afternoon also extended its winning streak to five matches.
 
"Today was a tough, hard-fought match against George Washington, which we always have against them," head coach Keith Puryear commented. "Their team is always tough and feisty, so we knew it would be a battle. Kudos to the ladies for fighting back after losing the doubles points to grab four singles matches.
 
"This match comes on the backend of another really tough and emotional week with a loss that hit us directly in the passing of midshipman David Forney. Our team must be commended for our focus and support of their teammates this week. Our thoughts and prayers are with Coach Ken Niumatalolo and the Navy football family, and of course to the Forney family as they remember the life of their loved one."
 
Puryear concluded, "We must now shift our focus to prepare for George Mason and Delaware tomorrow."
 
The Colonials controlled doubles from the start as Melis Bayraktaroglu and Kat Marinkovikj outlasted Amanda Cyr (Jr., Cary, N.C.) and Kaylah Hodge (Sr., Upper Marlboro, Md.) in a 6-2 contest. George Washington clinched the doubles point at No. 3 with Jiaqing Mo and Alex Vesikallio beating Aimee Dervishian (Sr., Milton, Ga.) and Annalise Klopfer (So., Palm Harbor, Fla.), 6-3. The match at No. 2 doubles went unfinished as the Colonials clinched with team point with Katreina Corpuz (So., Ewa Beach, Hawaii) and Meghana Komarraju (So., Vienna, Va.) leading the match, 4-3.
 
Trailing 1-0 in the contest, the Midshipmen bounced back in singles play with three-straight wins to turn the tables and grab the lead. Navy's freshmen duo of Jillian Taggart (Fair Oaks, Calif.) and Samantha Choi (Warrenville, Ill.) rolled to straight-set wins to put Navy ahead. Taggart beat Mo at No. 6 singles, 6-3, 6-1, and Choi followed with a 6-3, 6-2 decision over Sarah Bodewes at No. 5. The Midshipmen took a 3-1 advantage following Kacey Moore's (So., Wellington, Fla.) 6-4, 6-4 victory at No. 3 singles against Bayraktaroglu.
 
George Washington stopped the Navy run in singles competition with Luciana Kunkel sweeping Komarraju at No. 4, 6-4, 6-4. With the match sitting at 3-2 in favor of Navy, Klopfer rebounded from a loss in doubles and won in straight sets at No. 2 singles against Vesikallio, 7-6 (7-2), 6-4, to clinch the victory for the Midshipmen. The final match on the court went to the Colonials after Marinkovikj edged Hodge at No. 1, 7-5, 6-3.
 
Navy is back at home on Sunday with a doubleheader against George Mason and Delaware starting at 10 a.m. from the Tose Family Tennis Center.