ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Extending its winning streak to seven straight matches, the Navy women's tennis team (16-4) opened up its weekend at home by posting a 6-1 victory over Georgetown (11-7) on Friday afternoon at the Tose Family Tennis Center.
 
The Hoyas got off to a hot start in doubles play, as No. 3 Georgetown duo of Ashley Kennedy and Paige Gilbert chalked up a 6-0 win against Navy's sophomore pairing of Sylvia Eklund and Parvathi Shanker. Junior Samantha Johns and sophomore Emily Tannenbaum leveled the competition when they defeated the top Hoya team of McHaley Ho and Chloe Bendetti, 7-5, while junior Corinne Farid and freshman Hanna Elks Smith were able to clinch the doubles point on the No 2 court when they pulled out a 7-6 (10-8) win over Olivia Ashton and Morgan Coburn after battling back from match-point multiple times in the tiebreaker.
 
Georgetown quickly tied the dual match when No. 2 player Agata Mikos surged to a 6-3, 6-0 victory against junior Stella Ribaudo, but the Mids then ripped off the next five singles wins to end the afternoon. Freshman sensation Sia Chaudry started the run by scoring a 6-4, 6-2 victory in the No. 3 position over Bendetti, while Johns followed by beating Gilbert on the fifth court, 6-3, 6-1, and senior captain Casey Accola clinched the dual-match win when she claimed a 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 victory opposite of Kennedy at the No. 4 spot.  
 
Tannenbaum added to the run by notching a three-set win over 2022 All-BIG EAST honoree Avantika Willy on the top court, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, and sophomore Kate Lee closed out the afternoon by defeating Coburn in a 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 contest.
 
Keith Puryear Post-Match Comments
"The coaching staff is pleased with the fight and grit shown today. It was a great team win because Georgetown is well coached, talented and they've had a good season thus far."
 
"In doubles, our No. 1 and No. 2 teams came through with timely wins to help us get the first point. Both doubles matches were back-and-forth affairs. Twice in the set Emily and Sam were up a break, but unable to keep it. To their credit, they kept fighting to hold at 4-5 then finish it out at 7-5. Corinne and Hanna led, 4-1, and Georgetown fought back by running off four straight, got it back to 5-4 and then served for match-point again at 6-5, but Corinne and Hanna showed a ton of grit, facing down several match points to win the breaker."
 
"Georgetown presented a continuing challenge in singles. Casey and Kate both fought back from early deficits in the first set to win and Emily was similar by fighting back after losing the opening set, while Sia and Sam both did a good job of controlling momentum to win their matchups in straight sets."
 
"Tomorrow match will hold similar challenges, as we face a very battle-tested LIU team that is projected to win the NEC this year."
 
Match Notes
• Navy is now 6-3 in the all-time series with Georgetown.
• Tannenbaum's 26 singles wins on the campaign are tied for third-most in single-season program history with Ansofi Wreder's 2017 total, as the sophomore needs just three more this season to match the program-record 29 singles wins by Amanda Keller in 2015.
• Tannenbaum's 46 combined wins this season ranks as the third-most in the single-season program record books and sits just two combined wins away from matching Logan Antill's 48 combined wins during the 2013 campaign.
• With Friday's results, Tannenbaum has now won her last six singles matches while Chaudry and Accola have five-straight singles wins each.
 
Up Next
Navy hosts Senior Day against LIU on Saturday, April 9. Opening serve between the Mids and Sharks is set for 11 a.m. at the Tose Family Tennis Center.