Columbia won its second tennis match in as many days by beating UMass, 5-2, at the Dick Savitt Tennis Center on Saturday, February 9. The Lions captured all three doubles matches to take the doubles point, and won four of six singles bouts.

"Today I saw the seed of my dreams for my team emerging from the Dick Savitt Tennis Center," a glowing Ilene Weintraub said. "They came alive in the doubles."

Junior Nina Suda and first-year Natasha Makarova teamed for an 8-5 victory in first doubles, while junior Lauren Shearer and first-year Stephanie Zilberman combined for a crushing 8-3 triumph in second doubles. The third doubles match saw sophomore Carling Donovan and first-year Natalia Christenson team up for an 8-6 win.

Weintraub, who saw her team improve to 3-2, was especially taken by Zilberman and Shearer.

"Stephanie started driving the ball and keeping it low," she said. "Lauren was extremely aggressive at the net." If Massachusetts' Kristin DiPietro and Tanisha Hodgson threatened, Columbia held them off. Zilberman, in fact, held serve all through the pro set.

"I told [Zilberman and Shearer] that once you win your first doubles match of the winter, there's no looking back. You've really come together."

Zilberman carried that same level of excellence and intensity into her singles match with the highly-rated Boney at No. 3. She dispatched the UMass player quickly, 6-3, 6-2.

"Steph came out firing the balls," the coach said. "She really took it to Boney. It was fun to watch. It was no contest."

Donovan and Shearer had clinched Friday's match vs. UMBC with wins at fourth and fifth singles. They didn't let up on Saturday.

"Our clutch players had a great day," Weintraub said. "I really enjoyed coaching them." The coach actually spent most of her time with Nina Suda, battling hard at first singles. Although the Lion veteran fell to Slovenian star Masha Pozar, 6-4, 6-4, she never stopped working.

"If Nina continues to work hard, her turn will come." Weintraub paused, and smiled broadly. "It was," she said, "a really great day out there."

The Columbia women take part in a rare men-women doubleheader next Friday, February 15, at the Savitt Tennis Center. They host St. John's at 4 p.m., following a 1 p.m. match on the same courts pitting the Columbia men's team against Fairleigh Dickinson.

The results:

COLUMBIA 5, MASSACHUSETTS 2

Saturday, February 9, 2008

Dick Savitt Tennis Center, New York, N.Y.

Doubles
1. Nina Suda-Natasha Makarova, Columbia, def. Masha Pozar-Candynce Boney, 8-5
2. Stephanie Zilberman-Lauren Shearer, Columbia, def. Kristin DiPietro-Tanisha Hodgson, 8-3
3. Carling Donovan-Natalia Christenson, Columbia, def. Maude Lecluyse-Lauren MacKay, 8-6
Columbia wins the doubles point.

Singles
1. Pozar, UMass, def. Suda, 6-4, 6-4
2. Sydney Murray, Columbia, def. Hodgson, 6-0, 6-3
3. Zilberman, Columbia, def. Boney, 6-3, 6-2
4. Donovan, Columbia, def. Lecluyse, 6-0, 6-3
5. Shearer, Columbia, def. Kaitlyn Carpenter, 6-1, 6-3
6. MacKay, UMass, def. Christenson, 6-4, 6-3


RECORDS: Columbia 3-2*, UMass 2-2
*includes fall match