NEW YORK – Despite losing the doubles point early in the match, the Columbia women's tennis team rallied back to take four singles wins, and the match from local rival Long Island at Dick Savitt Tennis Center Saturday. With the win, the Lions improve to 4-5 overall this season.

The Blackbirds used wins in doubles at Nos. 1 and 3 to take the doubles point and an early 1-0 lead over Columbia. The Lions' lone doubles win came at No. 2, where junior Natasha Makarova and first-year Chelsea Davis beat their LIU opponents, 8-5.

Singles saw Columbia take wins at Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 5, on its way to a team victory. Losses at Nos. 4 and 6 were both close for the Lions. At No. 6, first-year Diana Shapoval had a tough first-set loss, 7-5, before falling in the second, 6-1. And first-year Katarina Kovacevic made her collegiate debut at No. 4, falling in three sets, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.

First-year Nicole Bartnik was one of several bright spots for the Lions in Saturday's match, as she beat LIU's Selma Babic easily, 6-2, 6-4. Junior co-captain Makarova earned a win at No. 2 over Linn Sjogren, beating her 6-3, 6-0, while Davis won at No. 3, 6-0, 6-4. Columbia's fourth point came at No. 5, where sophomore Eliza Matache beat Dara Lahens, 6-3, 6-2.

Up next for the Lions are two matches on the road, as Columbia travels to College Park, Md., to take on George Washington and host Maryland, Friday, March 5 and Saturday, March 6. Both matches are slated to start at 11 a.m.

Columbia 4, Long Island 3

Doubles
1.    Babic/Pavloviv (LIU ) def. Bartnik/Matache (CU), 8-6
2.    Makarova/Davis (CU) def.  Sjogren/Blessington (LIU), 8-5
3.    Stephanie Elie/Lahens (LIU) def. Natalia Christenson/Shapoval (CU), 8-6

Singles
1.    Nicole Bartnik (CU) def. Selma Babic (LIU), 6-2, 6-4
2.    Natasha Makarova (CU) def. Linn Sjogren (LIU), 6-3, 6-0
3.    Chelsea Davis (CU) def.  Aleksandra Pavlovic (LIU), 6-0, 6-4
4.    Taysha Blessington (LIU) def. Katarina Kovacevic (CU), 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
5.    Eliza Matache (CU) def.  Dara Lahens (LIU), 6-3, 6-2
6.    H'Ann Johnson (LIU) def. Diana Shapoval (CU), 7-5, 6-1