The women's tennis team continued its Ivy League season last weekend, posting a 4-3 win over Cornell on Friday and a 4-3 loss to Columbia on Saturday. The Bears are now 10-7 overall and 1-3 in the Ivies.
Cornell began by dominating the doubles competition, sweeping all three matches and earning the point. Brown, however, fought back with wins at the first four singles spots to secure the win.
Anita Ivancevic '08 set things off with a 6-4, 6-4 win at fourth singles. Daisy Ames '07 scrapped for a tough 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 win at second singles. Captain Alex Arlak '05 edged out a 6-4, 5-7, 6-0 point at third singles, while Amanda Saiontz '07 contributed the winning point with a feisty 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 victory at first singles.
The doubles competition against Columbia on Saturday built on Friday's success, with Brown taking the point with 8-6 wins by Arlak and Ames at first doubles and Kelly Kirkpatrick '08 and Ashley Pariser '08 at third.
But Columbia rallied in the singles matches, getting four points in close matches. Saiontz dropped her match at first singles 6-2, 7-5. Ames fell at second singles in a 1-6, 6-1, 6-2 match. Pariser suffered a 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 defeat at fifth singles, while Kirkpatrick was beaten 3-6, 6-2, 6-3.
"It was ironic that we won the doubles point against Columbia, but then dropped four (matches)," Arlak said. "It's usually the other way around for us. Columbia was just able to pull out the close matches."
Despite the team's loss, Arlak finished with a 6-3, 6-2 win at third singles while Ivancevic won a 7-6 (3), 6-3 decision at fourth. "It's hard when you lose a close one, but we definitely put up a fight," Ivancevic said.
With three losses in the Ivy League, a title is all but officially out of reach. "Our results this weekend show that Ivy matches can go either way," Arlak said. "The team still keeps a positive attitude going into our matches knowing that anything is possible. Even though we won't win Ivies, we still want to finish up as best we can."
The Bears head to Hanover, N.H., to face Darmouth on Friday, then return to host No. 19 Harvard on Sunday.
"I think what is important is for us to stay positive and keep fighting," Saiontz said. "We still have three good teams ahead of us, all of which are beatable if we play our best."
