Bellia, Webster Win Singles Draws as Navy Women’s Tennis Shines at Moore Invitational
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Navy women’s tennis turned its home courts into a showcase of the program’s depth over the weekend, sending players to the championship match in all five singles flights and capturing two titles at the 17th annual Bill & Sandra Moore Invitational.
Junior Molly Bellia captured the “C” singles championship, while freshman Mary Cain Webster won the “D” flight to highlight an impressive three-day tournament for the Midshipmen at Fluegel-Moore Tennis Stadium and the Tose Family Tennis Center. Navy also placed Grace Li, Emma Gu and Ji Soo Oh into singles championship matches and sent Li and Anna Wiskowski to the “B” doubles final.
Senior Manci Pal added another victory by capturing the “B” singles consolation bracket. Altogether, Navy’s performance demonstrated the depth of a program that returned every player from its 2026 Patriot League championship team while adding two highly regarded freshmen for the 2026-27 season.
Bellia dominates the “C” draw
Bellia produced one of Navy’s most dominant performances of the tournament.
The junior overwhelmed Mary Washington’s Evelyn Snyder in the quarterfinals, winning 6-0, 6-0 without dropping a game. Bellia remained in complete control during the semifinals, defeating Morgan State’s Angelina Joao 6-0, 6-2.
Bellia advanced to face George Mason’s Rowan Scronce in the championship, but Scronce was unable to play because of an injury. The walkover officially gave Bellia the “C” flight championship.
Although the title match was not played, Bellia’s path through the completed portion of the bracket was dominant. She surrendered only two games across four sets on her way to the championship.
Bellia entered her junior season as one of Navy’s experienced returners. She was also one of six Navy women’s players to receive ITA National Scholar-Athlete recognition for the 2025-26 academic year, marking her second consecutive selection.
Webster rallies to capture “D” championship
Webster’s championship required a much more dramatic finish.
The freshman began her run by defeating Mary Washington’s Rita Taylor before beating Lehigh’s Ronit Khromchenko and George Mason’s Gray Feaster. All three victories came in straight sets, putting Webster into the championship match against Morgan State’s Roua Lime.
For the first time during her run through the bracket, Webster dropped the opening set.
She responded.
After losing the first set 6-3, Webster fought back to win the second 6-4 and forced the championship into a deciding match tiebreak. Webster prevailed 10-7 to complete the comeback and capture the “D” singles championship.
The championship continued an excellent beginning to Webster’s collegiate career. Just one week earlier, she went a perfect 4-0 across singles and doubles at the Commander-in-Chief’s Challenge in Arlington, Virginia.
Webster arrived at Navy as a highly regarded recruit. Navy announced in August that she and fellow freshman TaKaii Adderley were both rated four-star or higher prospects by the Tennis Recruiting Network.
Her early results suggest she has needed little time to adjust to Division I competition.
Gu reaches “A” championship
Navy nearly added a championship in the tournament’s top singles flight.
Junior Emma Gu worked her way through the “A” bracket with victories over George Mason’s Marianna Pirmatova, Mary Washington’s Addison Felts and Morgan State’s Michaela Stephens.
Gu defeated Pirmatova and Felts in straight sets before needing three sets to get past Stephens. That victory sent Gu into the championship against Maryland’s Aida Eissa.
Eissa ended Gu’s run with a 6-1, 6-1 victory.
Even with the championship loss, Gu’s run through three opponents gave Navy a finalist in the strongest singles draw of its home tournament. Gu had also started the fall strongly at the Commander-in-Chief’s Challenge, where she posted a 3-1 combined singles and doubles record.
Peyton Amspacher-Philemon also competed for Navy in the “A” draw. The junior defeated Morgan State’s Tyler Williams in her opening match before Maryland’s Mila Mulready defeated her 6-1, 6-2 in the quarterfinals.
Li advances to “B” final
Junior Grace Li gave Navy another championship appearance in the “B” singles flight.
Li defeated Monmouth’s Faith Sadgrove and George Mason’s Maya Bayat in straight sets before surviving a three-set semifinal against Lehigh’s Alina Shyani.
The three victories earned Li a place in the championship against Lehigh’s Claire Macedo. Unfortunately for Navy, an injury forced Li to withdraw before the final could be played.
The result nevertheless gave Navy another finalist and further illustrated how thoroughly the Midshipmen populated the later rounds of the tournament.
Pal responds after opening defeat
Pal provided another noteworthy performance in the same bracket.
The senior lost her opening match to Delaware State’s Kamora Helton, eliminating her from championship contention. Instead of allowing the early loss to end her weekend, Pal responded by making a run through the consolation bracket.
She defeated George Mason’s Shivaani Ganesh 6-2, 6-1 before beating Delaware State’s Alba Benedito 6-3, 6-4 to claim the “B” consolation championship.
For Navy, Pal’s response added another positive result to a weekend filled with them.
Oh reaches “E” championship
Junior Ji Soo Oh ensured Navy had a finalist in every singles bracket by advancing through the “E” flight.
Oh defeated Monmouth’s Jillian Gray and Mary Washington’s Olivia Geoghegan to reach the championship. Delaware State’s Kayla Wright prevented Navy from claiming a third singles championship, defeating Oh 6-1, 6-4 in the final.
Still, Navy accomplishing the rare feat of putting at least one player into the final of all five singles flights provided perhaps the best overall indication of the Midshipmen’s weekend.
Navy did not rely on one or two standout players. Success came throughout the roster.
Navy also makes noise in doubles
The Midshipmen carried that success into doubles competition.
Navy entered four teams in the “B” doubles draw and sent three of those four combinations into the semifinals.
Li and Wiskowski ultimately advanced the farthest. They defeated Lehigh’s Audrey Harrington and Skye Yonehara before facing Navy teammates Julia Lee and Amspacher-Philemon. Li and Wiskowski prevailed 7-6 (3) to earn a spot in the championship.
Morgan State’s Williams and Amira Bergaoui ended their run with a 6-3 victory in the final.
Lee and Amspacher-Philemon had reached the semifinals by beating Monmouth’s Emilia Julin and Brielle Quaye before defeating Delaware State’s Helton and Ailyn Leon.
Gu and Bellia formed another successful Navy pairing. They defeated Mary Washington’s Sophia Broomall and Brianna Stewart before falling 6-4 to eventual champions Williams and Bergaoui in the semifinals.
Pal and Webster also competed together. Their championship run ended against Williams and Bergaoui in the quarterfinals, but they bounced back to defeat Broomall and Stewart 6-2 in consolation play.
Navy’s ability to put three pairings into the doubles semifinals complemented what the Midshipmen accomplished in singles.
Julia Lee’s weekend cut short
Senior captain Julia Lee also started well in singles before an injury ended her tournament.
Lee defeated Mary Washington’s Abiela Wang 6-1, 6-0 in the opening round of the “D” singles draw. She was scheduled to play George Mason’s Feaster in the quarterfinals but withdrew because of injury.
Lee had already contributed to Navy’s doubles success alongside Amspacher-Philemon before the Midshipmen pairing fell to Li and Wiskowski in the semifinals.
Defending Patriot League champions showing depth
The results become even more significant when considering Navy’s larger roster situation.
The Midshipmen returned all 13 players from the team that captured the 2026 Patriot League championship. Head coach Keith Puryear then added Webster and Adderley to that veteran group, giving Navy a combination of championship experience and talented newcomers.
That depth was on display throughout the Moore Invitational.
Bellia and Webster won championships. Gu, Li and Oh reached championship matches. Pal won a consolation title. Three Navy doubles teams advanced to the semifinals of the “B” draw.
The results were spread throughout multiple classes and lineup positions rather than concentrated among only Navy’s most established players.
Webster’s emergence may be particularly encouraging. She has opened her college career by going undefeated at the Commander-in-Chief’s Challenge and then winning a singles flight at the Moore Invitational.
That gives Navy another potential contributor despite returning an already experienced championship roster.
Navy stays home for Blue & Gold Invitational
The Midshipmen will not have to travel for their next competition.
Navy is scheduled to host the Navy Blue & Gold Invitational from Sept. 25-27 at Fluegel-Moore Tennis Stadium. Competition begins at noon Friday before starting at 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.
The event gives Navy another opportunity to continue developing singles players and doubles combinations before moving deeper into its fall tournament schedule.
After what the Midshipmen accomplished at the Moore Invitational, there will be plenty to build upon.
MSB Take
The most impressive part of Navy’s weekend was not simply winning two singles championships. It was the number of Midshipmen who put themselves in position to win one.
Sending a player to the championship match in all five singles flights is an impressive demonstration of roster depth. Add three Navy doubles combinations reaching the semifinals of the “B” draw, and this became a weekend in which virtually every portion of the lineup contributed.
Bellia was dominant. She lost only two games in the four completed sets of her championship run. Webster showed something different, winning three straight-set matches before responding to adversity in the final and rallying from a set down to capture the championship.
Webster may be one of the most intriguing early stories of Navy’s fall. The freshman went 4-0 at the Commander-in-Chief’s Challenge and immediately followed that performance with a tournament championship in Annapolis. For a team that already returned its entire Patriot League championship roster, adding a freshman capable of producing results this quickly only makes Navy deeper.
Gu, Li and Oh reaching their respective championship matches should not be overlooked either. Neither should Pal responding to an opening-round defeat by winning the consolation bracket.
Fall tennis is about much more than team wins and losses. Coaches are evaluating players, experimenting with doubles combinations and determining which athletes can handle pressure before the dual-match season begins.
Navy received plenty of encouraging answers at the Moore Invitational.
The Midshipmen now get another opportunity on their home courts at the Navy Blue & Gold Invitational. If this weekend was any indication, Navy’s combination of veteran experience and emerging young talent should make the defending Patriot League champions a difficult team to deal with throughout 2026-27.
