ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy women's tennis team (20-5, 4-0 PL) rallied after losing the doubles point to defeat Army (15-8, 3-1 PL) by a 4-2 score Saturday at the Tose Family Tennis Center in Annapolis. The contest served as this year's Star Match, part of the Army-Navy Star Series presented by USAA.

Navy has now won three-straight and five of the last six Star Matches. The victory also gives Navy a 10-9-1 advantage over Army in the 2023-24 all-sport Star Series.

"Army-Navy, every single time we play each other, is an absolute battle," said Navy head coach Keith Puryear. "We expected that. We have a lot of respect for them. We know whenever we play them they will do the same thing we will do, which is bring a hardhat and a lunch pail. It comes down to really small details in matches, and that was what we saw today."

The doubles point was not decided until a tiebreaker was contested in the third and final match.  

Navy's No. 3 team of Julia Lee and Emily Tannenbaum won the first two games and never trailed in defeating Isabella Brilliant and Paulina Feoli, 6-1, in the first match to finish. Army evened the proceedings when its No. 1 team of Paige Herremans and Cooper Jackson won a 6-3 decision over Sia Chaudry and Samantha Johns.

That left the No. 2 match to determine the point. Navy's tandem of Kate Lee and Parvathi Shanker held a 4-3 lead, but Army's Julia Kelly and Jenna Sabile won the next two games to take a 5-4 advantage. The Mids held serve to extend the match (5-5), then two more holds forced a tiebreaker. Navy seemed to be in decent shape when it recorded back-to-back breaks of serve to take a 4-1 lead in the tiebreaker. The Black Knights responded by scoring the next five points to reach match point with a 6-4 advantage. The Mids won the next point to keep play going, then Army scored on its serve to win, 7-5.

Trailing, 1-0, Navy had the start it needed in singles as it won the first set in all six matches.

"We have been in this situation before," said Puryear of losing the doubles point. "We just told them that we were in the same situation we were in at the start of the match; we need four points. We didn't want to get too up or too down. We have shown this toughness all year long. This is what they have done, win or lose. They did a good job after losing the doubles point by coming back and winning the first set in every singles match. That really changed the momentum."

Tannenbaum continued her strong day by posting a 6-3, 6-4 win over Jackson at No. 1 singles to tie the score at 1-1.  

Johns won the first set of her No. 2 singles match against Sabile, 6-3, then roared back from a 5-2 deficit in the second set over a hobbled Sabile to take a 6-5 lead. Sabile won the next game to force a tiebreaker, whileJohns stormed out to a 5-0 lead in the breaker only to see Sabile close to within one point at 5-4. The players exchanged the ensuing two points (6-5), then Johns won the next point to win, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5), and give the Mids a 2-1 lead.

Shanker and Emily Ruckno played two close sets at No. 6 singles to force a third set. Shanker won the first four games of the final set on her way to winning the frame and the match, 7-5, 4-6, 6-1, and making the team score 3-1.

Army's Ylan Duong battled back after losing the first set of her match at No. 3 against Chaudry to win, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, and close the score to 3-2.

Kate Lee won the first set of her No. 4 singles match against Emma Sy in a tiebreaker, then Sy won a nearly as close second set to also force a third set. Sy led 2-1 in the extra frame, but Lee won the ensuing five games to close out a 7-6 (7-4), 5-7, 6-2 victory and clinch the star.

In the remaining match, Army's Vennmukiil led Makaila Cheng, 2-6, 6-3, 6-5, when play was halted.

"You have to understand that you are playing against another competitor who is not going away," said Puryear of being forced into four three-set matches. "They are really going to do a great job of making you earn the win. You have to reset yourself and understand you are in the same situation you were in after winning the first set; you need to win one more. You can't get too bent out of shape from the set you loss. Instead, take and learn from it and change what you want to and keep doing what had worked."

Navy will next play April 6 at Boston University.

Navy 4, Army 2

Doubles -- Army wins the doubles point (3-1-2)
1. Paige Herremans / Cooper Jackson (ARMY) def. Sia Chaudry / Samantha Johns (NAVY) 6-3
2. Julia Kelly / Jenna Sabile (ARMY) def. Kate Lee / Parvathi Shanker (NAVY) 7-6 (7-5)
3. Julia Lee / Emily Tannenbaum (NAVY) def. Isabella Brilliant / Paulina Feoli (ARMY) 6-1

Singles (1-2-6-3-5)
1. Emily Tannenbaum (NAVY) def. Cooper Jackson (ARMY) 6-3, 6-4
2. Samantha Johns (NAVY) def. Jenna Sabile (ARMY) 6-3, 7-6 (7-5)
3. Ylan Duong (ARMY) def. Sia Chaudry (NAVY) 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
4. Kate Lee (NAVY) def. Emma Sy (ARMY) 7-6 (7-4), 5-7, 6-2
5. Makaila Cheng (NAVY) vs. Vennmukiil Mathivanan (ARMY) 6-2, 3-6, 5-6, unfinished
6. Parvathi Shanker (NAVY) def. Emily Ruckno (ARMY) 7-5, 4-6, 6-1