ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy women's tennis team (0-2) returns to the Brigade Sports Complex on Saturday, Jan. 21 for its spring home opener, hosting Saint Francis (1-1) and St. Bonaventure (1-1) at the Tose Family Tennis Center.
 
After beginning the spring season with two matches in Alabama, the Midshipmen will square off against the Red Flash Saturday morning at 8 a.m. before turning around to face the Bonnies at 11 a.m. The two matches this weekend begin a six-match homestand for Navy, with the Mids playing a total of 11 matches at home this spring.
 
Home Sweet Home
Saturday marks the first time the Mids hit their home courts for competition since the Navy Blue and Gold Invitational on Sept. 30-Oct. 2022, and it will also be the Mids' first dual matches at home since a 6-1 win over Howard on April 9, 2022 … The Mids went 16-1 last season at home, with the lone loss being a 5-2 defeat against No. 30 Old Dominion … Navy holds an all-time home record of 182-42, including seven seasons with 15-plus home victories.
 
Last Time Out
Navy began the spring with matches at Samford and Alabama this past weekend, suffering a pair of hard-fought losses … Against Samford last Saturday, the Mids dropped the double point despite freshman Sia Chaudry and sophomore Parvathi Shanker teaming up to grab a win as the No. 2 pairing, while sophomore Emily Tannenbaum (No. 1 court) and Chaudry (No. 5 court) both notched two-set wins in the singles portion of the 5-2 loss to the Bulldogs … Closing the weekend in Tuscaloosa on Sunday, Navy saw the Crimson Tide take the doubles point before Alabama won five-straight singles matches to clinch the 6-1 victory despite junior Stella Ribaudo earning her first nationally-ranked win over No. 75 Petra Sedlackova … After losing the first set to Sedlackova, Ribaudo battled back to claim the 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 upset.
 
Scouting the Red Flash
Saint Francis opens its spring slate on Saturday in Annapolis, holding a 1-1 record in duals this season after an Oct. 16 doubleheader where the Red Flash lost at Buffalo, 6-1, before coming back with a 5-2 win against Binghamton … Kelly Dowuona and Bente Vandeputte lead the way with identical 8-6 singles records on the campaign, while the duo have paired up seven times in doubles play to post a 5-2 mark … SFU also returns Anoek Pruijmboom, a 2022 Northeast Conference All-Rookie Team selection that tallied 21 total wins last year between singles and doubles action … The Red Flash went 8-15 in duals last season, including a 4-13 record on the road.
 
Scouting the Bonnies
St. Bonaventure will arrive in Annapolis with one match under its belt this spring, as the Bonnies are set to play at Loyola Maryland on Friday evening … The Bonnies split two fall duals, beating Little Three rival Niagara, 6-1, on Sept. 17 before dropping a 6-1 decision to Buffalo later that same day … Isabella Venter paces St. Bonaventure in singles competition with a 7-3 mark, and Venter has also partnered with Anastasia Gubanova to post a team-best 7-3 doubles record … Despite a 4-4 singles record this season, the Bonnies do have 2022 All-Atlantic 10 Second Team honoree Alexandra Jansson in the lineup as well, tallying 13 singles wins last season … SBU finished with a 5-15 overall mark last season.
 
Series Histories
The Mids hold a 12-0 edge in the all-time series with Saint Francis, including a 6-1 victory in the programs' last meeting on Jan. 22, 2022 … Every meeting between Mids and Red Flash has been played in Annapolis … Navy and St. Bonaventure will meet for the 11th time in series history on Saturday, with the Mids leading the overall series by a 9-1 margin and boasting an 8-1 mark against SBU at home … The Bonnies' lone win over the Mids came on March 22, 2014 in Annapolis.
 
Up Next
Navy continues the homestand when it plays host to Morgan State on Sunday, Jan. 29 at 10 a.m.