St. John's University Athletics
St. John's University
USTA Collegiate Invitational
Red Storm Competes At USTA Women's College Invitational
10/11/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
FLUSHING MEADOWS, N.Y. - The St. John's women's tennis team continued its fall season this past weekend at the annual USTA Billie Jean King Women's College Invitational at the National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. Newcomer Lyubov Pogirbnyak led the Red Storm by reaching the quarterfinal round of her respective singles bracket, while the upperclass doubles duo of Nevena Selakovic and Joanna Zwirbulis also reached the round of eight of the second doubles draw.
Pogirbnyak opened play by defeating St. Francis' Nuria Vails 6-1, 6-1 in the round of 16, but the freshman was topped by second-seeded Susita Das of Charleston Southern 6-2, 6-2 to conclude her tournament run. Selakovic and Zwirbulis opened the second doubles bracket with an 8-3 win over BIG EAST foes Courtney Kilarski and Karina Martinez of Seton Hall, but were sent to the back draw by Harvard's Camille Jania and Alex Lehman with a close 8-6 decision. The pair rebounded in the back draw to defeat third-seeded Sharissa Ryan and Monica Yajima of Fairfield, 8-3.
In other singles action, Selakovic lost to fourth-seeded Olga Khmylev of Boston College 4-6, 4-6 in the second singles flight, but grabbed a 7-5, 6-2 decision over Seton Hall's Pui Wing Sher in the consolation bracket. After losing her opening match of the fourth singles bracket, Zwirbulis came back to defeat another Pirate, Rocio Portela, by a 6-4, 6-7(2), 11-9 margin in the consolation round.
Senior Ece Firat and Pogirbnyak teamed up to pick up one victory in doubles play, defeating the St. Francis duo of Vails and Lucy Jasso, 8-2, in the consolation round of the fourth doubles flight.
The squad returns to action for its final fall tournament of the season when it travels to Hanover, N.H., to compete at the annual Big Green Invitational hosted by Dartmouth College from Nov. 4-6.
