NEW YORK CITY – The defending Patriot League champion Boston University women's tennis team opened the 2017 fall schedule at the three-day Columbia Invitational over the weekend with both freshman Emily Kim and senior Iryna Kostirko reaching the finals of their respective singles flight.

Kim led the Terriers by winning the Staten Island draw. A five-star recruit, she first started off with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Penn's Nicole Berkman and followed with a 6-1, 6-3 victory against Columbia's five-star recruit Sarah Rahman, 6-1, 6-3. In Sunday's title match, she rallied from a set down to claim a 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 victory against Columbia team captain and former blue-chipper Andrea Kevakian, who ranked as high as No. 9 in last season's ITA Northeast Regional poll.

Competing in the top singles draw, Kostirko opened with a 6-4, 7-6(5) victory over Maryland's Arnelle Sullivan, the 2016 ITA Atlantic Region Rookie of the Year. She then reached the championship round by rallying from a set down to defeat Penn's Marta Kowalska, 3-6, 7-6, 6-3. The run though came to an end Sunday when she came up just short to St. John's 25th-nationally-ranked Jessica Livianu in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4.

In doubles action, sophomores Clara Falxa and Lily O'Fagan reached the final of the C Doubles Flight by earning a first-round bye and defeating St. John's Marjanovic/Preotescu, 6-2. On Sunday, the dropped the title to Columbia's Kevakian/Ren, 6-3.

The Terriers will next compete at the Harvard Fall Classic on Sept. 22-24, though junior and reigning Patriot League Player of the Year Remi Ramos will represent the conference at the prestigious Oracle/ITA Masters Tournament in California on Sept. 21-24.

THE RUNDOWN

Event Name: Columbia Invitational
Date: Friday, Sept. 15 – Sunday, Sept. 17
Location: New York, N.Y.
Participants: BU, Columbia, Penn, Maryland, Hofstra, St. John's
Most BU Singles Wins: 3 – Kim, 2 – Kostirko
Most BU Doubles Wins: 1 – Kostirko/Faybyshev, Burchell/Martens, Falxa/O'Fagan

SINGLES
 
Brooklyn Draw
 
Iryna Kostirko (2-1)
def. Arnelle Sullivan (Maryland): 6-4, 7-6(5)
def. Marta Kowalska (Penn): 3-6, 7-6, 6-3
lost to #25 Jessica Livianu (St. John's): 6-3, 6-4
 
Queens Draw
 
Remi Ramos (1-1)
def. Olaya Inclan Solis (St. John's): 6-4, 6-2
lost to Sarah Hu (Columbia): 6-3, ret.
 
Sabrina Faybyshev (1-2)
lost to Ashley Zhu (Penn): 7-5, 6-2
def. Kaplan (Hofstra): 6-1, 6-2
lost to Rodriguez-Benito (Penn): 6-3, 6-2 
 
Staten Island Draw
 
Emily Kim (3-0)
def. Nicole Berkman (Penn): 6-1, 6-0
def. Sarah Rahman (Columbia): 6-1, 6-3
def. Andrea Kevakian (Columbia): 4-6, 6-2, 7-5
 
Lily Burchell (1-1)
def. Jennifer Richards (Penn): 6-2, 6-2
lost to Andrea Kevakian (Columbia): 7-5, 7-5
 
Bronx Draw
 
Katya Martens (1-1)
def. Ojasvinee Singh (Penn): 6-2, 6-2
lost to Paulina Ferrari (Columbia): 6-2, 6-2
 
Manhattan Draw
 
Clara Falxa (1-1)
def. Sarah Catherine Herndon (Hofstra): 7-6, 4-6, 6-4
lost to Delia Arranz (St. John's): 0-6, 6-3, 6-3
 
Lily O'Fagan (1-2)
lost to Renee Ren (Columbia): 6-4, 6-4
def. Yellayi (Hofstra): 7-6, ret.
lost to Stork (Hofstra): 6-4, 6-2
 
DOUBLES
 
A Flight
 
Iryna Kostirko / Sabrina Faybyshev (1-1)
lost to Vaidya/Zhu (Penn): 6-2
def. Kerman/Richards (Penn): 6-1

B Flight
 
Remi Ramos / Emily Kim (0-1)
lost to Wan/Milstein (Columbia): 6-1

C Flight
 
Clara Falxa / Lily O'Fagan (1-1)
1^st Round Bye
def. Marjanovic/Preotescu (St. John's): 6-2
lost to Kevakian/Ren (Columbia): 6-3

Lily Burchell / Katya Martens (1-1)
def. Dolbany/Khokhar (Hofstra): 6-1
lost to Kevakian/Ren (Columbia): 7-5