Navy Women’s Tennis Team Shines at 2025 Commander-in-Chief’s Challenge
ARLINGTON, Va. – The Navy women’s tennis team concluded their participation in the 2025 Commander-in-Chief’s Challenge with a commendable performance, achieving a 10-8 singles record over the course of the weekend. Freshman Nicole Fu led the way with an impressive 2-0 singles performance, demonstrating her potential on the court.
The event took place at the Army Navy Country Club and featured competition from service academies, including Army and Air Force, as well as regional rivals Georgetown. The Midshipmen showcased their skills with four singles wins on the final day, while their overall doubles record stood at 3-6 after three days of intense matches.
Day One Highlights
Navy opened the tournament with singles matches against Air Force. In a hard-fought battle, sophomore Molly Bellia narrowly lost to Nadia Kojonroj, with scores of 7-6 (4), 6-4. Classmate Emma Gu also faced a challenging match against Arianna Van Houweling, falling 6-3, 6-3. However, Fu secured a solid victory against Abby Cotuna, winning 6-3, 6-2. Freshman Jina Cha added to the team’s success by defeating Jariahlyn Rhoades 7-5, 6-2, while junior Manci Pal lost a close match to Joselyn Limbago, 6-3, 6-4. The day’s lineup concluded with freshman Anna Wiskowski earning a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Maya Michalski.
In doubles competition, Fu and junior Olivia Fermo faced a tough pair in Michalski and Cotuna but were edged out 7-5. Bellia and Gu found success in their match, defeating Kojonroj and Van Houweling 6-4, marking Navy’s first doubles win of the weekend. The final doubles match saw Limbago and Rhoades narrowly defeat sophomores Peyton Amspacher-Philemon and Ji Soo Oh, with a score of 6-3.
Day Two Insights
On Saturday, the Midshipmen faced Army. Bellia was defeated by Madison Smith 6-3, 6-2, but Gu made an impressive comeback against Vennmukiil Mathivanan, winning 1-6, 6-0, 11-9. Fermo also contributed to the team’s efforts, winning 7-6 (3), 6-1 against Olivia Manson. Fu continued her strong performance, securing a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Ylan Duong, while Amspacher-Philemon faced a narrow defeat at the hands of Emily Ruckno, losing 3-6, 6-3, 10-8.
In doubles play against Army, Bellia and Gu were defeated 6-0 by Smith and Isabella Brilliant. Pal and Cha struggled against Duong and Naomi Widiaman, finishing with a score of 6-4. However, Fuger and Wiskowski managed to secure a 6-4 victory over Ruckno and Olivia Mellynchuk, salvaging a win for the team in doubles.
Final Day Results
Sunday brought matches against Georgetown, where Bellia revitalized her performance, earning a 6-3, 2-6, 10-4 victory over Emily Novikov. Fuger also contributed with a 4-6, 6-4, 10-5 win against Ashley Kennedy. Amspacher-Philemon secured a 6-2, 6-4 win over Molly Evans, and Pal edged Natasha Kavarana with a score of 6-4, 6-2. The day’s singles concluded with Carolyn Schaefer narrowly defeating Oh 6-4, 2-6, 12-10.
In doubles action, Gu and Bellia were narrowly defeated 7-6 (1) by Kennedy and Gilbert. Garofolo-Ro and Ruhika Bhat continued Georgetown’s momentum against Fu and Fuger, winning 7-5. Nevertheless, Pal and Cha teamed up effectively to claim a 6-4 victory over Evans and Jordan Thomas, capping off Navy’s performance for the weekend.
Coach’s Reflections
Head Coach Keith Puryear expressed gratitude to the Army Navy Country Club and acknowledged the hard work of the tournament committee, especially Major Stef Allen. He emphasized the competitive spirit displayed throughout the matches, stating, “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.”
Looking Ahead
Navy is set to compete in the ITA Atlantic Regional Championships starting Thursday, October 16.
