After having their winning streak snapped by Liberty the previous day, the Navy women’s tennis team returned to the Tose Family Tennis Center determined to rebound. And rebound they did, with a 5-2 victory over the Howard Bison on Sunday morning.
The Midshipmen started strong in doubles, as sophomores Kate Lee and Parvathi Shanker secured a 6-2 win on the No. 2 court, while sophomore Emily Tannenbaum and junior Samantha Johns clinched the doubles point for the Mids with a 6-2 victory on the top court. Despite Howard’s win on the No. 3 court, the Midshipmen carried their momentum into singles play.
Freshman Hanna Elks Smith made quick work of her opponent, sweeping Simunyola with a 6-0, 6-0 score to give Navy a 2-0 lead. Junior Stella Ribaudo then followed up with a 6-2, 6-4 win on the No. 1 court, putting the Midshipmen up 3-0.
Freshman Sia Chaudry sealed the deal for Navy on the No. 2 court, defeating Stibbins with a 6-4, 6-1 victory. Johns also contributed with a 6-4, 6-3 win on the No. 4 court in her first singles appearance of the season.
Howard fought hard in the final two matches, with Pegram outlasting Shanker in a three-set battle and Butcher overcoming senior Casey Accola. Nevertheless, Navy emerged victorious with a final score of 5-2.
The win improves Navy’s record to 9-3 on the season and extends their home winning streak to 10 matches. On the other hand, Howard drops to 2-4 overall.
The Midshipmen will look to continue their winning ways as they host Delaware on Saturday, March 4 at 2 p.m. at the Tose Family Tennis Center.