ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Following the unforeseen conclusion of the 2019-20 seasons, our Sunday Salute series continues this week with Navy women's tennis.
 
The Midshipmen were off to one of their best starts in program history en route to a 17-4 finish to the season. Through the first 16 matches of the regular season, Navy went 14-2, which was its best start in program history since the 2012 campaign. The Midshipmen rattled off 11-straight wins during the season for the program's fourth-longest winning streak in history.
 
The 2019-20 season also featured the program's first nationally ranked individual by the ITA as Samantha Choi (Fr., Warrenville, Ill.) was ranked 114th in the nation following the fall portion of the season. Choi finished the season as the team's Rookie of the Year after notching a record of 17-2 in singles competition and a 10-3 doubles mark during her first season of collegiate tennis.
 
Choi's fellow classmate Jillian Taggart (Fr., Fair Oaks, Calif.) led the Midshipmen in both singles and doubles wins during the year as she finished at 18-6 in singles matches and 17-5 in doubles. In the spring portion of the season, Annalise Klopfer (So., Palm Harbor, Fla.) notched a team-best 10 wins in dual matches while she partnered with Aimee Dervishian (Sr., Milton, Ga.) in doubles to finish with an 8-3 record as a doubles team.
 
Dervishian was one of three seniors on Navy's 2019-20 squad as she was joined by classmates Kaylah Hodge (Upper Marlboro, Md.) and captain Danika Kahatapitiya (Virginia Beach, Va.). 
 
Each of the three seniors surpassed the 100-win mark in their careers at Navy with Hodge becoming the all-time wins leader in doubles matches. Hodge finished her career with 72 doubles wins to set a new program record and her 60 singles victories rank eighth in program history while her 132 combined wins are fourth all-time in school history. Dervishian has racked up 109 combined wins, which is ninth in program history, and her 60 doubles wins are sixth in program record books. Kahatapitiya finished with 101 career wins over her four seasons with 49 singles wins and 52 doubles victories.
 
Navy Women's Tennis Class of 2020
Aimee Dervishian – Milton, Ga. – Major: Chemistry – Service Selection: Navy Pilot
Kaylah Hodge – Upper Marlboro, Md. – Major: Political Science – Service Selection: Surface Warfare Officer
Danika Kahatapitiya – Virginia Beach, Va. – Major: Applied Physics – Service Selection: Submarines