ARLINGTON, Va. – With freshman Nicole Fu pacing the squad at a 2-0 singles mark on the weekend, the Navy women's tennis team posted a 10-8 singles record Friday through Sunday in the 2025 Commander-in-Chief's Challenge at the Army Navy Country Club in Arlington, Va.
 
Facing competition from fellow service academies Army and Air Force as well as regional rival Georgetown, the Midshipmen used four singles victories on Sunday to cap off the 10-8 singles weekend, while Navy finished with a 3-6 doubles record over the three-day event.
 
Opening the tournament with singles action against the Falcons, sophomore Molly Bellia was just edged by Nadia Kojonroj, 7-6 (4), 6-4, while classmate Emma Gu was upended by Arianna Van Houweling, 6-3, 6-3, but Fu was able to beat out Abby Cotuna in a 6-3, 6-2 victory. Also picking up a win, fellow rookie Jina Cha knocked off Jariahlyn Rhoades in a 7-5, 6-2 match, but junior Manci Pal was defeated in a 6-3, 6-4 battle against Joselyn Limbago. Wrapping up the lineup, freshman Anna Wiskowski held on for the 6-2, 7-5 victory over Maya Michalski.
 
In the doubles matches against Air Force, Fu and junior Olivia Fermo fell to Michalski and Cotuna in a close 7-5 contest, but Bellia and Gu partnered to post a 6-4 victory over Kojonroj and Van Houweling for Navy's first doubles win of the weekend. Rounding out the order, Limbago and Rhoades nipped sophomores Peyton Amspacher-Philemon and Ji Soo Oh, 6-3.
 
While Saturday morning opened with Army's Madison Smith beating Bellia in a 6-3, 6-2, 10-4 battle, Gu outlasted Vennmukiil Mathivanan with a 1-6, 6-0, 11-9 comeback win and Fermo picked up a 7-6 (3), 6-1 victory against Olivia Manson. After Sydney Fuger dropped a 6-0, 6-1 match to Emma Sy, Fu continued her strong weekend with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Ylan Duong but Amspacher-Philemon was edged by Emily Ruckno, 3-6, 6-3, 10-8.
 
Facing the Black Knights in doubles action, Bellia and Gu were defeated by Smith and Isabella Brilliant, 6-0, while Pal and Cha were beat out in a 6-4 contest with Duong and Naomi Widiaman. Salvaging the doubles slate, Fuger and Wiskowski pulled out the 6-4 win over Ruckno and Olivia Mellynchuk.
 
Turning to Sunday afternoon and Georgetown, Bellia bounced back with a 6-3, 2-6, 10-4 singles win over Emily Novikov and Fuger notched the 4-6, 6-4, 10-5 victory against Ashley Kennedy before Katie Garofolo-Ro edged Wiskowski, 6-4, 6-2. Amspacher-Philemon then defeated Molly Evans in a 6-2, 6-4 decision and Pal edged out Natasha Kavarana, 6-4, 6-2, while the singles slate ended with Carolyn Schaefer beating out Oh in a 6-4, 2-6, 12-10 match.
 
Closing out the weekend, Gu and Bellia were knocked off, 7-6 (1), by Kennedy and Gilbert on the doubles court and Garofolo-Ro paired with Ruhika Bhat to outlast Fu and Fuger, 7-5, but Pal and Cha teamed up for the 6-4 win against Evans and Jordan Thomas.
 
Head Coach Keith Puryear Comments
"We thank the ANCC, Mr. Bill Slenker and his wife Annie for sponsoring this ever-evolving event. We also thank our alumni, with kudos going out to Major Stef Allen for all her hard work on the tournament committee. We also thank the academy alumni on the men's side for their support as well. Competition was intense in every match and we accorded ourselves well over the course of the weekend. At this point in the season, we are looking to continue to improve and develop as a team in all that we do, and the coaches feel we are on point with what we're doing daily. We are proud of the job the ladies did in representing USNA this weekend."
 
Up Next
Navy begins the ITA Atlantic Regional Championships on Thursday, Oct. 16