CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Battling against the defending national champions in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the Navy women's tennis team (24-7) held its own in a 4-0 loss to No. 4 North Carolina (23-3) Friday evening at the Chewing Tennis Center.
 
Ending a historic season that saw the Midshipmen capture their first Patriot League Championship and earn its debut berth in the NCAA Tournament, Navy was able to earn points on each of the three doubles and six singles courts. Highlighting the first-round showdown was freshman Anna Jordaan claiming the first set in her unfinished No. 6 singles match against Tatum Evans.
 
Opening the contest against three ranked doubles pairings, the Mids faced an early deficit when freshmen Julia Lee and Manci Pal dropped a 6-1 decision on the third court to the 30th-ranked duo of Abbey Forbes and Reilly Tran. The Patriot League Doubles Team of the Year in senior Samantha Johns and sophomore Sia Chaudry then fell to the No. 6-ranked pairing of Fiona Crawley and Carson Tanguilig on the top court, 6-1, to clinch the doubles point, leading to junior Emily Tannenbaum and freshman Olivia Fermo abandoning their No. 2 match against 24th-ranked team of Elizabeth Scotty and Anika Yarlagadda at 4-5.
 
The No. 52-ranked singles player in the nation, Tanguilig then began singles action by posting a 6-1, 6-0 victory on the third court over Chaudry, while 58th-rated Tran beat freshman Makaila Cheng, 6-0, 6-1 in the No. 4 position. Clinching the first-round match was sixth-ranked Crawley notching a 6-0, 6-1 win against Johns on the second court.
 
Abandoning the other matches, the top position saw No. 22-ranked Scotty holding a 6-2, 4-1 lead over Tannenbaum, while junior Parvathi Shanker was fighting back on the fifth court, 2-6, 4-1, against 77th-ranked Thea Rabman and Jordaan was in a 6-3, 1-2 battle with Evans when action was halted.
 
Head Coach Keith Puryear Comments
"It was a great experience for the ladies to go up against UNC, the defending national champ and one of the best teams in the nation, and it was a good atmosphere in which to compete. Their fans were vocal and supportive, but I felt they respected our efforts as we competed hard across the board today.
 
"Tennis is a tough sport in regard to its scoring, particularly with the no add scoring we use. The score doesn't reflect the quality of the matches we played. In a few of the matches, we took a little while to settle into the battle, but once we did the coaching staff felt we competed and battled well. Anna played a great match, becoming the first Navy player to win a set in NCAA competition, and Parv was battling to be the second. Emily's singles match was highly competitive, separated by just a few critical points, as was her doubles with Liv against Elizabeth Scotty (part of the No. 1 doubles team in the country and the daughter of a Navy Doctor that was stationed at USNA)."
 
"This team has represented the Naval Academy in an exemplary manner all year long, facing challenge after challenge with aplomb. We commend them for their discipline, courage and commitment to one another and our mission. Our two seniors have left their mark on our program. We thank Stella and Sam for all that they've done and wish them well as they move into the Navy and Marine Corps fleets, respectively. We couldn't have accomplished what we did this year without their steady leadership and guidance. We thank each of our team members, those ladies are an unbelievable group of future leaders of our nation. Thanks for allowing us coaches to take this ride with you and the people who have supported us this year. They all know who you are and we appreciate what you have done for us all. This team has accomplished some firsts, but we now must take what we learned and experienced this year and use it spur on our continued growth and development."
 
Associate Head Coach Alessandra Pedergnana Comments
"This was truly a historic season. I could not be more proud of this group of ladies and our entire team. The ladies bought in to what this program was about, what it stands for and what it means to be a member of Navy Women's Tennis. Stella and Sam truly led this team from the front and they are the definition of exemplary Midshipmen both on and off the court. Our team, as well as us coaches, are truly grateful to them both. The bar has been set high through a foundation of love and care for one another. I am looking forward to what is to come but, for now, just a huge thank you to both Stella and Sam. They will make amazing officers in the Navy and Marine Corps."
 
Match Notes
• Navy is now 0-2 in the all-time series with North Carolina.
• The match against the Tar Heels marked the fourth different ranked opponent the Mids have faced this season.
• Johns ends her Navy career with a 49-23 singles record and 54-25 doubles mark, while fellow senior Stella Ribaudo closes her college career with a 55-41 singles record and 38-22 doubles mark.