March 30, 2012

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The Navy women's tennis team returns home for the first time in almost a month to take on Lafayette and Lehigh in its lone Patriot League home matches of the season. The Mids will take on Lafayette on Saturday at 2:30 PM and then Lehigh on Sunday at 10:00 AM.

Both matches on Saturday and Sunday will be played on the grounds of the Naval Academy on the 8th Wing Courts that run parallel to Brownson Road. In the event of inclement weather, the matches will be moved indoors to the Tose Family Tennis Center at the Brigade Sports Complex.

Navy enters the match with a 16-1 overall record and a 2-0 mark in league play after topping Bucknell (5-2) and Colgate (7-0) last weekend. The Midshipmen have won five straight matches after suffering their first loss of the season on March 4 against George Washington. During Navy's five-match streak, the Mids have won two of the matches by 4-3 scores (Delaware, Long Island) and another two by 5-2 counts (Quinnipiac and Bucknell).

Navy has won the matches in dramatic fashion after losing the doubles point in five of its last six wins. During dual meet play this spring, Navy has posted 30-21 (.588) record in doubles play, but has turned it around in singles play with a sizzling 81-21 (.794) record. Six Navy players own individual winning streaks of at least four matches.

Leading the way for Navy is sophomore Erin Snook (So. / Tampa, Fla.) and Noelle Kaufmann (Fr. / Westlake, Ohio). Snook is 18-5 overall and is 14-1 in dual-meet action winning five matches in a row at the No. 4 position. Kaufmann, meanwhile, has won a school-record 10 straight matches, is 10-0 in dual-meet action at No. 6 singles and is 15-5 overall.

Darien Sears (So. / Silver Spring, Md.) will likely compete at No. 1 singles where she owns a 9-6 dual-meet mark and a 13-14 overall record. She ranks fourth on the career singles victories list with 37 in just her second year at Navy.

Emani Decquir (Jr. / Sacramento, Calif.) is 8-5 at No. 2 singles this spring and is 15-8 overall. Decquir has won two straight matches and is 9-2 during her career against Patriot League opponents.

Stefanie Ton (Jr. / Milpitas, Calif.) is also having a sensational season at No. 3 singles, owning a dual-meet mark of 12-1 this spring and 16-7 overall. Ton has won four matches in a row and is the school's career victories leader with 43.

Freshman Gabby Winter (Orlando, Fla.) completes the lineup at No. 5 singles with a 10-5 dual-meet record and a 20-11 overall record. Winter's 20 wins this season are tied for the third most in a season in school history and she enters the weekend with five straight victories.

Navy's doubles tandems consist of Decquir and Ton at No. 1 (7-9 dual; 8-16 overall), Kaufmann and Snook at No. 2 (9-6 dual; 14-11 overall) and Dye Das (Jr. / Cherry Hill, N.J.) and Sears at No. 3 (3-1 dual; 3-1 overall).

Navy owns a 1-0 series advantage against Lafayette, defeating the Leopards in 2010 by a score of 7-0. The Midshipmen are 2-0 against Lehigh winning in both 2010 (6-1) and 2011 (7-0).

Navy will remain at home for its final two home matches, hosting Howard on April 5 (3:00 PM) and Towson on April 11 (3:00 PM) before concluding the regular season on April 13 at Old Dominion in Norfolk, Va. The Patriot League Tournament will then be played on April 20-22 in Bethlehem, Pa.

# GO NAVY #