Saturday, March 2
New York, N.Y./Dick Savitt Tennis Center
2:00 PM
Columbia University
4
vs
2
Penn State
Photo by: Columbia University Athletics/Mike McLaughlin
No. 42 Lions Fend Off Penn State 4-2
3/2/2019 7:46:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Christie Wan, Akanksha Bhan, Ali Pollack win singles matches, Lions claim doubles point in winning their eighth consecutive dual match.
NEW YORK—The No. 42 ranked women's tennis team extended its winning streak to eight matches as the Lions claimed a 4-2 victory over Penn State Saturday afternoon at Dick Savitt Tennis Center. The win, Columbia's second in a row against a Big Ten opponent, improves Columbia to 8-1 in dual matches on the year, while Penn State drops to 7-3.
Columbia first-year Akanksha Bhan broke a 2-2 tie and gave the Lions a 3-2 lead when she won a 6-0, 6-4 match over Penn State's Olivia Rohrbacher at No. 2 singles. Then sophomore Christie Wan followed with a come-from-behind 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 win over Penn State's Frederikke Svarre at No. 3 singles to clinch the Lions' team win. Wan achieved the victory in spectacular fashion. She battled back from a 6-5 deficit in the first set to force a tiebreaker and eventually won the tiebreaker 7-4 to claim the first set. Then in the second set with a 3-2 lead, she found herself down 40-love and won four straight points to take a commanding 4-2 lead. With the momentum, she went on to win the final two points.
"Christie being able to win the first set was huge for momentum in the match," Columbia Head Coach Ilene Weintraub said. "It was clutch. She was down 6-5 in the first set and the fact that she was able to come back and get to the tiebreak was very important. If she had lost that first set, we would've lost four first sets out of the six singles matches. The fact that she didn't lose, put us tied with Penn State, so it was very important."
Columbia claimed a 1-0 lead after taking the doubles point. Sophomore Jennifer Kerr and first-year Melissa Sakar edged Penn State's Samantha Smith and Shannon Hanley for a 6-2 victory at No. 3 doubles. After PSU's Gabby O'Gorman and Olivia Rohrbacher defeated Bhan and sophomore Paulina Ferrari 6-3 at No. 1 doubles, Columbia's Wan and senior Andrea Kevakian engineered a 6-3 win at No. 2 over PSU's Frederikke Svarre and Chelsea Sawyer to take the point.
Junior Ali Pollack, competing in her second match after coming back from injury, defeated Penn State's Shannon Hanley 6-0, 6-2 at No. 6 singles to give Columbia a 2-0 advantage. Penn State's Gabby O'Gorman, who entered the weekend ranked No. 98 nationally in singles, defeated Kerr 6-3, 6-1 at No. 1 singles to cut the margin to 2-1. Then Penn State's Chelsea Sawyer registered a 6-4, 6-0 win over first-year Melissa Sakar at No. 4 singles and the score was tied at 2-2. Bhan and Wan followed with back-to-back wins.
The Lions have now won eight straight matches. Weintraub attributes the streak to Columbia's talent and depth.
"We are a very talented team this year with a lot of depth," Weintraub said. "We aren't focusing on records and results. We are focusing on what's going to make us the most prepared team and what's going to give us an advantage and an extra edge over our opponents. The women are buying into it and that's why we have been so successful."
Columbia completes its four-match homestand next weekend when it hosts LIU Brooklyn on Saturday, March 9 at 10 a.m.
Columbia first-year Akanksha Bhan broke a 2-2 tie and gave the Lions a 3-2 lead when she won a 6-0, 6-4 match over Penn State's Olivia Rohrbacher at No. 2 singles. Then sophomore Christie Wan followed with a come-from-behind 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 win over Penn State's Frederikke Svarre at No. 3 singles to clinch the Lions' team win. Wan achieved the victory in spectacular fashion. She battled back from a 6-5 deficit in the first set to force a tiebreaker and eventually won the tiebreaker 7-4 to claim the first set. Then in the second set with a 3-2 lead, she found herself down 40-love and won four straight points to take a commanding 4-2 lead. With the momentum, she went on to win the final two points.
"Christie being able to win the first set was huge for momentum in the match," Columbia Head Coach Ilene Weintraub said. "It was clutch. She was down 6-5 in the first set and the fact that she was able to come back and get to the tiebreak was very important. If she had lost that first set, we would've lost four first sets out of the six singles matches. The fact that she didn't lose, put us tied with Penn State, so it was very important."
Columbia claimed a 1-0 lead after taking the doubles point. Sophomore Jennifer Kerr and first-year Melissa Sakar edged Penn State's Samantha Smith and Shannon Hanley for a 6-2 victory at No. 3 doubles. After PSU's Gabby O'Gorman and Olivia Rohrbacher defeated Bhan and sophomore Paulina Ferrari 6-3 at No. 1 doubles, Columbia's Wan and senior Andrea Kevakian engineered a 6-3 win at No. 2 over PSU's Frederikke Svarre and Chelsea Sawyer to take the point.
Junior Ali Pollack, competing in her second match after coming back from injury, defeated Penn State's Shannon Hanley 6-0, 6-2 at No. 6 singles to give Columbia a 2-0 advantage. Penn State's Gabby O'Gorman, who entered the weekend ranked No. 98 nationally in singles, defeated Kerr 6-3, 6-1 at No. 1 singles to cut the margin to 2-1. Then Penn State's Chelsea Sawyer registered a 6-4, 6-0 win over first-year Melissa Sakar at No. 4 singles and the score was tied at 2-2. Bhan and Wan followed with back-to-back wins.
The Lions have now won eight straight matches. Weintraub attributes the streak to Columbia's talent and depth.
"We are a very talented team this year with a lot of depth," Weintraub said. "We aren't focusing on records and results. We are focusing on what's going to make us the most prepared team and what's going to give us an advantage and an extra edge over our opponents. The women are buying into it and that's why we have been so successful."
Columbia completes its four-match homestand next weekend when it hosts LIU Brooklyn on Saturday, March 9 at 10 a.m.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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