The Navy women’s tennis team (19-6) was defeated, 4-2, by their rivals Army (20-8) in the semifinal round of the 2023 Patriot League Championship at the Lichtenberg Tennis Center on Saturday afternoon, ending their historic season.
Army captured the doubles point as Cooper Jackson and Paige Herremans defeated Navy’s Emily Tannenbaum and Samantha Johns, while Julia Kelly and Jenna Sabile knocked off Navy’s Casey Accola and Sia Chaudry. Tannenbaum tied the record for the most singles wins in a season by a Navy player and broke the record for the most No. 1 singles wins in the program’s single-season history. She evened the semifinal at 1-1 by winning in the top spot against Jackson.
Kate Lee brought the match even once again when she picked up a win over Herremans on the sixth court, but Army secured their spot in the league finals by posting two more victories. Elizabeth Gilbert won against junior Stella Ribaudo, and Ylan Duong won against Johns.
Associate Head Coach Ale Pedergnana expressed his pride in coaching the team and their resilience throughout the season despite the loss. He also praised Casey Accola, the lone senior and team captain, for her leadership and legacy.
Navy is now 7-13 all-time against Army, and Tannenbaum’s 29 singles victories this season matched Amanda Keller’s program-record total set in 2015. The 16 singles wins in the No. 1 position by Tannenbaum on the campaign surpassed Erin Shook’s 15 wins at the top spot during the 2014 season. This season, Tannenbaum’s 22 doubles victories also tie her for eighth in the program’s single-season record books. Hanna Elks Smith’s singles winning percentage of .810 (17-4) is the ninth best in program single-season history. Accola ended her career with a 43-24 singles record over four seasons.
Navy’s women’s tennis team may have fallen to Army in the Patriot League Championship Semifinal, but they have made history this season. Tannenbaum broke two program records, and Accola’s leadership will carry on well beyond her time in the team. Despite the loss, the team and their coach are proud of their achievements and look forward to what the future holds for them.