Women's Tennis Heads to Mizzou Tennis Invite to Open Fall Slate
9/18/2014 12:56:00 PM | Women's Tennis
NEW YORK – Coming off a historic 2013-14, the Columbia women's tennis team returns to action this weekend when it travels down to Kansas City, Missouri, to open its 2014 fall schedule at the Missou Tennis Invite. Over the course of the three-day event the Lions will face opponents from Mississippi State, Nebraska and the hosts Missouri.
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Scene Setter
The invitational kicks off at 9 a.m. Friday, Sept. 19 at The Plaza Tennis Center with two rounds of doubles competition followed by the first round of singles play. Action on Saturday, Sept. 20 mirrors day one with two rounds of doubles beginning at 9 a.m., and singles, which starts at 1:30 p.m. closing the day. The competition concludes Sunday, Sept. 21 with a round of doubles to open the day at 9 a.m., followed by singles play at 10:30 a.m. to wrap-up the event.
| Friday, Sept. 19 | Saturday, Sept. 20 | Sunday, Sept. 21 | ||
| 9 a.m. | Doubles | Mizzou vs. CU | MSU vs. Neb. | Mizzou vs. Neb. | MSU vs. CU | Missou vs. MSU | CU vs. Neb. |
| 10:30 a.m. | Doubles | Mizzou vs. MSU | CU vs. Neb. | Mizzou vs. CU | MSU vs. Neb. | Mizzou vs. CU | MSU vs. Neb.* |
| 1:30 p.m. | Singles | Mizzou vs. Neb. | CU vs. MSU | Mizzou vs. MSU | CU vs. Neb. | *Singles |
Look Who's Back, Back Again
Columbia returns seven letterwinners in 2014-15 from a team that earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships for the first time in program history with a 16-5 overall record, which included an 11-match win streak, and 5-2 mark against Ivy League opponents.
Among the returners is Kanika Vaidya a unanimous first-team All-Ivy League single selection from a year ago. The junior held down the Lions top spot for the majority of 2013-14 and produced an 11-6 dual record and 4-3 mark against Ancient Eight opponents.
Tina Jiang comes back to Morningside Heights for her second season after earning a spot on the conference's second team after a perfect year, going 7-0 in league play and 17-0 in all dual matches at the No. 2 and No. 3 positions. Jiang and her doubles partner Crystal Leung, who were recognized with second team All-Ivy League double team honors a year ago, after an undefeated performance, 15-0 in dual play and 6-0 in Ivy League, at the No. 2 slot with don Columbia Blue again.
Also returning for Columbia is Vivian Cheng, Amy Li, Alice Song and Nada Zaher.
First-Year Five-Pack
Head coach Ilene Weintraub welcomed five members of the class of 2018 to Morningside Heights for 2014-15. The five-park made up of Rima Asatrian, Laura MacMullin, Lindsey Mendelson, Adi Milstein and Alexandra Solovyev represents three different states and one Canadian province.
More Reading: Women's Tennis Bolsters Roster with Four Recruits for 2014-15
On the Sidelines
Ilene Weintraub enters her eighth season at the helm of the Lions. Under her guidance, Columbia won the program's first Ivy League title in 2013 and earned a top-40 national ranking in 2014 en route to the team's first at-large selection to the NCAA Tournament in program history. Weintraub, who competed in Columbia Blue from 1999-2002, boasts a 67-70 overall record and 16-33 mark against the Ancient Eight
Leaders of the Lions
A pair has been elected to lead the Lions as co-captains this season as seniors Crystal Leung and Amy Li share the leadership responsibilities.
More Reading: Leung, Li Tabbed 2014-15 Women's Tennis Captains
Rank and File
Columbia received national recognition by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) in the preseason rankings as four Lions were recognized. Junior Kanika Vaidya is the highest ranked player in the Ivy League coming in at No. 85 while sophomore Tina Jiang sits No. 102. On the doubles court, two Columbia tandems made the 60-pair list. Jiang and Crystal Leung were picked No. 19 and Vaidya and first-year Rima Asatrian land at No. 41.
Championships Bound
Four Lions made the cut for the Riviera/ITA Women's All-American Championships, held at the Riviera Tennis Club in Pacific Palisades, California Saturday, Sept. 27 through Sunday, Oct. 5. The senior-sophomore partnership of Crystal Leung and Tina Jiang were selected to the doubles main draw while Kanika Vaidya and Rima Asatrian are alternates. In singles Vaidya and Jiang made the qualifying and prequalifying lists.
More Reading: Women's Tennis Receives ITA Rankings, All-American Championships Selections
Hall of Famer
Columbia women's tennis will see its former standout Milena Koachar '07CC inducted into the Columbia University Athletics Hall of Fame this October. The four-time All-Ivy League honoree remains the only Lion to be named the Ivy League Rookie of the Year, earning the accolade in 2004 after going 5-2 against the Ancient Eight with a 13-5 overall record.
More Reading: Hall of Fame Series: Women's Tennis' Milena Kachar '07CC
What's Next
Columbia will send four Lions to Pacific Palisades, California, where they will compete at the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships Sept. 27 – Oct. 5.
