NEW YORK – The Columbia women’s tennis team returns home Saturday to host Penn State in the first of four straight home contests. First serve is set for 1 p.m. Saturday at the Philip and Cheryl Milstein Family Tennis Center.
 
LOOKING BACK
Columbia enters Saturday with a 2-1 record to start the season. The Lions opened the season last Friday with a doubleheader sweep against Marist. Columbia then dropped a road contest at Notre Dame last Sunday.
 
Anna Zhang and Sophia Wang both went 2-0 in singles matches last weekend with a win against Marist and Notre Dame. In doubles play, Gayathri Krishnan and Sophia Strugnell highlighted the unit with a 3-0 mark, including wins in both matches against Marist and at Notre Dame. The duos of Zhang and Wang and Winta Tewolde and Rachele Rimondini were both 2-1 last weekend. Both doubles teams defeated Marist twice.
 
“(Friday) was a terrific way to start the season,” Columbia Women’s Tennis Head Coach Ilene Weintraub said after the Marist victories. “Every player competed and was able to take care of their court, demonstrating how much talent and depth we have.”
 
SCOUTING PENN STATE
Penn State is 0-1 to start the spring season after losing at Kentucky last Saturday. Sofiya Chekhlystova earned Penn State’s only singles win of the match by defeating Kentucky’s Elizabeth Stevens, 6-3, 6-2 in the No. 1 singles.
 
The Nittany Lions have seven returners on the squad for the 2024 season, including four seniors. Penn State added three freshmen to the lineup this season – Jordina Cegarra, Katerina Dimitrova and Kate Zink.
 
FOLLOWING THE LIONS
Stay up to date on all things Columbia Women’s Tennis by following the Lions on X (@CULionsWTEN), Instagram (@culionswten) and on Facebook (@ColumbiaAthletics).