NEW YORK – The Columbia women's tennis team earned its first win of the 2010 season, with a dominating 5-2 win over Stony Brook in the Dick Savitt Tennis Center today.

The match got started off on the right foot immediately, as the Lions won the doubles point. First-year Nicole Bartnik and senior Carling Donovan took a win in the No. 1 spot, beating Stony Brook's Gayatri Krishnan and Anna Pieschl, 8-6. First-year Chelsea Davis and junior Natasha Makarova suffered an 8-5 loss in the No. 2 spot, but junior Natalia Christenson and first-year Diana Shapoval won at No. 3, 8-6, giving the Lions an early 1-0 lead.

Singles saw Columbia take wins in the Nos. 1 through 4 spots to take the match victory. Bartnik, playing at No. 1, made easy work of Stony Brook's Katherine Hanson, winning 6-0, 6-2. But losses at No. 5 and No. 6 by Shapoval and Christenson tied the overall team score up at 2-2. Next off the courts was Makarova, who won at No. 3 over Paola Rodolfi, 7-5, 6-3. And Davis had the clinching point at No. 3, as she beat Krishnan, 6-4, 7-6(6). It was senior Carling Donovan who had the toughest fought match of the day, as she rallied back from a first set loss to take the fifth point for Columbia. Donovan beat Aylin Mehter, 1-6, 6-4, 6-3, putting the final match score at 5-2 in favor of Columbia.

With the win, the Lions now stand at 1-1 on the season. Columbia returns to the tennis center Saturday, February 6 for a 12 p.m. matchup with Fairleigh Dickinson.

Columbia 5, Stony Brook 2

Doubles
1.    Bartnik/Donovan (CU) def. Krishnan/ Pieschl (SB), 8-6
2.    Hanson/Salome Mkervalidze (SB) def. Makarova/Davis (CU), 8-5
3.    Christenson/Shapoval (CU) def. Mehter/Charliquart (SB), 8-6

Singles
1.    Nicole Bartnik (CU) def. Katherine Hanson (SB), 6-0, 6-2
2.    Natasha Makarova (CU) def. Paola Rodolfi (SB), 7-5, 6-3
3.    Chelsea Davis (CU) def. Gayatri Krishnan (SB), 6-4, 7-6(6)
4.    Carling Donovan (CU) def. Aylin Mehter (SB), 1-6, 6-4, 6-3
5.    Anna Pieschl (SB) def. Diana Shapoval (CU), 6-2, 6-1
6.    Fanny Charliquart (SB) def. Natalia Christenson (CU), 6-1, 6-0