ANNAPOLIS, MD. – Freshman Sydney Kaplan and junior Kat Muzik claimed the singles titles of their respective draws to lead Rutgers tennis at the Navy Blue and Gold Invitational from Oct. 5-7. Overall, a Scarlet Knight appeared in the finals of each of the main singles draws.
 
In doubles action, the duo of junior Jaci Cochrane and freshman Kristiana Zahare advanced to the finals of the A Flight Doubles Draw.
 
"I was really pleased with how we came out to this tournament," said head coach Hilary Ritchie. "Having it be an individual tournament, it was great to see everyone's work ethic and individual motivation. Sydney and Kat won their flights, but even the people that fell in the first rounds really came back and finished well in the back draws. We are going to continue to be aggressive with our playing, work on our consistency and carry that into Regionals."
 
SINGLES
Kaplan dominated in the A Flight Singles Draw, topping opponents from Maryland (6-7(4), 6-4, 10-5), George Washington (6-1, 6-0), and Richmond (6-4, 6-3) to move on to the finals. The freshman then topped Ansofi Wreder of Navy by a score of 6-4, 6-3 to earn the title.  
 
"Overall, as a team, we were really positive and supportive of each other. I love playing with these girls, they are like family," said Kaplan. "These successes are a great accomplishment and we will continue with the same mindset throughout the year."
 
Muzik followed suit in the B Flight, earning wins over foes from Mary Washington (6-4, 6-2) and two from Navy (7-6(5), 6-0), (6-3,6-2). In the finals, Muzik defeated Saya Usui from Maryland by a score of 6-0, 6-4 for the title.
 
"We all played more aggressive than in the past and that definitely contributed to our great outcomes," said Muzik. "The success we saw this weekend gave us confidence and some great match play under our belt."
 
Additionally, sophomore Isabelle Da Silva and Zahare represented RU in the finals of the C Flight and D Flight, respectively.
 
DOUBLES
In doubles play, three Scarlet Knight pairs would advance to the semifinals of the A Flight, including sophomore Maya Jacobs and Kaplan, freshman Tess Fisher and Muzik, and Cochrane and Zahare.
 
Cochrane and Zahare pushed to the finals, dropping a tight 6-3 battle to Richmond's duo.
 
Additionally, the pair of Da Silva and junior Kyra Yap appeared in the quarterfinals of the B Flight.
 
Full results and scores of the invite can be found here.
 
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