BOCA RATON, FLA. - The Columbia women's tennis team dropped a tough match today 7-0, to the highest ranked opponent the Lions will face all season, No. 10 Clemson. Columbia played well in the match, but the Tigers proved to be too much for them to handle, as Clemson swept doubles and all six singles matches.
In doubles, a pair of first-year took on one of the top teams in the nation at No. 1 doubles, as Nicole Bartnik and Katarina Kovacevic fell to Josipa Bek and Ina Hadziselimovic, who are ranked No. 17 in the nation, 8-2. Eliza Matache and Natalia Christenson fell in the No. 3 spot to Estefania Balda and Laurianne Henry, 8-1, while senior Carling Donovan and first-year Chelsea Davis lost at No. 2, 8-3, to Nelly Ciolkowski and Caroline Magnusson.
Magnusson earned the first singles win of the day for Clemson in the No. 6 spot, as she beat Christenson, 6-1, 6-0. Matache was the next Lions to lose, as she fell to Ciolkowski, who is ranked No. 73 in the nation, 6-0, 6-3. And the match was clinched in Clemson's favor, when No. 22 Josipa Bek beat Columbia first-year Bartnik in the No. 1 singles spot, 6-1, 6-3.
Davis fell in the No. 2 spot to Hadziselimovic, 6-0, 6-2, while Kovacevic put up a fight in the No. 4 spot, falling 6-3, 7-5. And first-year Diana Shapoval had a strong first set against Balda, but couldn't sustain the momentum, and fell in the last match of the day, 7-5, 6-0.
Up next for the Lions is Florida Atlantic University, who Columbia will face off with, Thursday, March 18 at 1 p.m.
Clemson 7, Columbia 0
Doubles:
1. #17 Bek/Hadziselimovic (CLEM) d. Bartnik/Kovacevic (COL), 8-2
2. Ciolkowski/Magnusson (CLEM) d. Carling Donovan/Davis(COL), 8-3
3. Balda/Henry (CLEM) d. Matache/Christenson (COL), 8-1
Order of Finish: 3, 1*, 2
Singles:
1. #22 Josipa Bek (CLEM) d. Nicole Bartnik (COL), 6-1, 6-3
2. Ina Hadziselimovic (CLEM) d. Chelsea Davis (COL), 6-0, 6-2
3. #73 Nelly Ciolkowski (CLEM) d. Eliza Matache (COL), 6-0, 6-3
4. Laurianne Henry (CLEM) d. Katarina Kovacevic (COL), 6-3, 7-5
5. Estefania Balda (CLEM) d. Diana Shapoval (COL), 7-5, 6-0
6. Caroline Magnusson (CLEM) d. Natalia Christenson (COL), 6-1, 6-0
Order of Finish: 6, 3, 1*, 2, 4, 5
