ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy women's tennis team rounded out the home portion of its 2021 fall tournament slate by winning three flights at the Navy Blue & Gold Invitational this weekend at the Brigade Sports Complex.
The invitational was a three-day tournament lasting October 8-10 with an eight-team field of Connecticut, George Mason, George Washington, Maryland, North Carolina-Wilmington, Seton Hall and Towson joining the Midshipmen in the field.
"Our goal this fall has been to improve with each competition and this event shows the improvement we've made since the start of the fall season," said head coach
Keith Puryear. "To have players in every single flight final except the A flight, four singles players and two doubles teams, with teams of this caliber speaks well of our play this weekend.
"Congratulations go out to our flight winners;
Kacey Moore,
Casey Accola and the pairing of Moore and
Samantha Johns in doubles. While they didn't win their flights, over the course of the weekend
Stella Ribaudo,
Sylvia Eklund,
Katreina Corpuz and
Parvathi Shanker all played great tennis as well. We are looking forward to our next competition in Charlottesville, where
Jillian Taggart and
Emily Tannenbaum will represent us at the Super Regional Championship."
Kacey Moore (Sr., Wellington, Fla.) began her run to a championship in the singles B flight by defeating North Carolina-Wilmington's Stela Joksimovic in straight sets (6-2, 6-1) prior to picking up a victory Seton Hall's Hiba Ell Khalifi (6-1, 6-2) in the quarterfinal round. The senior then took down North Carolina-Wilmington's Anna Daniels (7-5, 6-1), advancing to the flight championship.
In the singles B flight championship match, Moore earned a hard-fought victory over Connecticut's Aleksandra Karamyshev (7-5, 6-3) completing a run that saw the senior go without losing a set en route to clinching the aforementioned flight title.
In the competition's singles D flight,
Casey Accola (Jr., Winter Garden, Fla.) began her championship run with a victory over George Mason's Francesca Trella (6-0, 6-2) before defeating North Carolina-Wilmington's Maddy Muller-Hughes (6-4, 5-7, 10-3) in a harrowing three-set battle, advancing to the flight semifinal.
In the semifinal match, Accola took down Seton Hall's Oliwia Kempinski before securing the singles D flight championship with a victory over teammate
Parvathi Shanker (Fr., Napa, Calif.) in straight sets (6-4, 7-5).
The ITA Super Regional bound duo of
Jillian Taggart (Jr., Fair Oaks, Calif.) and
Emily Tannenbaum (Fr., Commack, N.Y.) both took part in the invitational's singles A flight, making a run to the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, respectively. Taggart defeated Seton Hall's Anastasia Petrova (6-2, 6-3) before falling to Maryland's Minorka Miranda (6-2, 7-6).
Tannebaum continued her stellar play to open her collegiate career, downing Connecticut's Leonie Hoppe in a three-set contest (6-4, 4-6, 10-3) before advancing to the flight quarterfinal over Maryland's Mary Brumfield who was forced to withdraw from the match.
The run for the freshman ultimately came to an end in the semifinals, falling to Maryland's Selma Cadar in straight sets (6-3, 6-2).
Shanker found a run of success in the singles D flight despite being defeating in the championship match, earning wins over North Carolina Wilmington's Lauren Robbins (WR) and George Mason's Emily Wirt (4-6, 6-2, 10-3) before matching up against Accola.
Katreina Corpuz (Sr., Ewa Beach, Hawaii) took part in the singles B flight, earning a victory in the round of 16 over Seton Hall's Aina Plana-Ventosa (4-6, 6-3, 10-7) in a three-set battle before falling in the quarterfinal round in another three-set competition to North Carolina-Wilmington's Lauren Gish (6-2, 1-6, 10-5).
Sylvia Eklund (Fr., Bellevue, Wash.), participating in the singles C flight, earned a straight-set win over George Washington's Charlotte Bell (7-5, 6-1) prior to defeating Seton Hall's Arabella Moen in three sets (4-6, 6-1, 10-2) to advance to the flight semifinal round.
The flight championship bid would ultimately fall short for Eklund, falling in the semifinal match to teammate
Samantha Johns (So., Simpsonville, S.C.) in straight sets (6-0, 7-6).
Johns made a run of her own through the C flight of singles competition, defeating Connecticut's Isabel Petri Bere (6-2, 6-1) before the aforementioned defeat of Eklund to advance to the flight championship match where the sophomore fell to North Carolina-Wilmington's Lauren Gish in straight sets (6-1, 6-3).
Also taking part in the singles C flight was
Stella Ribaudo (So., Chicago, Ill.) who defeated Towson's Elessa Jacobs (6-2, 6-2) before taking down George Mason's Lauren Splett with a dominant straight-set victory (6-0, 6-1) to advance to the semifinal match of the flight.
The run for Ribaudo would ultimately come to an end at the hands of a three-set loss to North Carolina-Wilmington's Gish (3-6, 6-4, 11-9).
Rounding out Navy's participation in singles competition was the pairing of
Meghana Komarraju (Sr., Vienna, Va.) and
Corinne Farid (So., Columbia, Mo.).
After falling in her opening match in the singles B flight, Komarraju picked up three victories in consolation play, defeating Connecticut's Denise Lai (6-0, 6-4) and the Towson duo Olivia Rothfeld (6-4, 6-2) and Sarah Pospischill (6-2, 6-4).
In the singles D flight consolation bracket, Farid also picked up a trio of wins following a loss to Seton Hall's Kempinski in her opening match (6-2, 6-4). The sophomore tallied victories Towson's Nadeen Shrebati (6-4, 6-2) and Emily O'Donovan (6-3, 2-6, 10-7) along with George Mason's Francesca Trella (6-3, 6-3).
In doubles competition, the pairing of Johns and Moore posted a championship performance in the doubles B flight that began with a win over Seton Hall's O'Donovan and Kempinski (8-4). The Midshipmen pairing then defeated Connecticut's duo of Lai and Doga Selen Takunyaci (8-2) followed by a win over teammates Accola and Farid in the semifinal match to advance to the championship of the flight.
Johns and Moore ultimately secured a victory of the doubles B flight, defeating fellow Navy duo of Ribaudo and Shanker (8-4).
Ribaudo and Shanker earned a trio of victories in the doubles B flight, taking down Seton Hall's Hili Kronzon and Moen (8-6) followed by a win over George Washington's Alejandra Ramirez and Lindsay Thompson (8-4).
The final victory for the pairing came in the semifinal round against North Carolina-Wilmington's Zoe Huffman and Stela Joksimovic (8-7).
UP NEXT
Navy is set to return to action October 22-25 as Taggart and Tannenbaum travel to take part in the ITA Super Regional Championship hosted in Charlottesville, Va.
