Hey tennis fans! The Navy women’s tennis team is gearing up for their final matches of the fall season at the Academy Challenge. They’ll be facing off against some familiar opponents, including Army, Air Force, and Georgetown. The matches will take place at the Army Navy Country Club in Arlington, Va. The Midshipmen will be competing in both singles and doubles play, with their first match against the Falcons on Friday at 4 p.m. On Saturday, they’ll take on the Black Knights at 11 a.m., and on Sunday, they’ll face the Hoyas at 3 p.m.
In their last tournament, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Atlantic Regional Championship, the Navy team had a fantastic showing. Junior Emily Tannenbaum made history by becoming the first player in program history to reach the Round-of-16 in singles play. In total, seven Midshipmen competed in the tournament, which is a program record. The team also had three doubles teams in the main draw, with senior Samantha Johns and sophomore Sia Chaudry making it to the round-of-32. Other standout performances came from Sylvia Eklund, Stella Ribaudo, and the doubles team of Makaila Cheng and Olivia Fermo.
The Navy team is no stranger to their upcoming opponents. They faced off against Army, Air Force, and Georgetown in dual-match action last spring. They had a 1-1 record against Army, winning the Star Match but falling in the Patriot League Semifinals. In their first-ever meeting with Air Force, Navy came out on top with a 4-2 victory. They also defeated Georgetown with a score of 6-1. In tournament play this fall, Navy has had success against Georgetown players in singles, winning two out of three matches, and against the Hoyas’ doubles teams, winning one out of three matches.
Leading the way for the Navy team is Emily Tannenbaum, who has an impressive 13 singles victories. Sia Chaudry is not far behind with 10 singles wins. Freshman Anna Jordaan is on a four-match winning streak in singles. In doubles, Makaila Cheng and Olivia Fermo had a six-match winning streak before their recent loss, while Sylvia Eklund and Anna Jordaan have won their last three matches as a pair.
Looking ahead, the Navy team will kick off their spring season on January 20th with a doubleheader against Saint Francis and St. Bonaventure. So mark your calendars and come out to support the Midshipmen as they continue to dominate on the court!
Players Mentioned: Sia Chaudry, Sylvia Eklund, Samantha Johns, Stella Ribaudo, Emily Tannenbaum, Makaila Cheng, Olivia Fermo, Anna Jordaan