Locals Columbia and St. John’s Compete in Cissie Leary Invitational
Both the Columbia and St. John’s women’s tennis teams traveled to the University of Pennsylvania this past weekend to compete in the Cissie Leary Invitational. Along with Pennsylvania, the two schools also competed with Delaware, Drexel, Georgetown, Maryland, Princeton, Temple and Yale.
In the Singles Flight A competition, Columbia sent three players to the quarterfinals. Freshman Star Makarome led the way, winning her first three matches to reach the semifinals, before falling to Katrina Steffensen of Princeton in straight sets.
Rima Asatrian, who won the USTA Eastern Sectional Qualifying Tournament of the National Open Playoffs back in June, reached the quarterfinals before losing to eventual champion Ria Vaidya of Penn. Alex Solovyev also represented Columbia in the quarterfinals.
For St. John’s, junior Natallia Vavulina won three matches in straight sets on her way to the semifinals. Vavulina would love a tight three-set match to eventual champion Vaidya in the semifinals.
In the Flight B competition, both St. John’s and Columbia sent one player to the quarterfinals. Columbia freshman Andre Kevakian won two matches to reach the quarterfinals, before losing a tough three-set match to Nicole Kalhorn of Princeton.
St. John’s sophomore Irina Preotescu made her way to the quarterfinals before falling to eventual runner-up Lina Qostal of Penn.
Vavulina, who reached the semifinals of the Singles Flight A, paired up with Red Storm teammate, sophomore Zofia Stanisz, to win the Doubles Flight A bracket. Vavulina & Stanisz defeated Sonya Latycheva & Kana Daniel of Penn 7-5 in the final.
The two also knocked off the Columbian duo of Astarian & Solovyev in the semifinals.
