BOSTON – Seeking its fifth-straight Patriot League title, the No. 3-seeded Boston University women's tennis team will open the conference tournament against No. 6 Loyola Maryland on Friday with action slated to begin at 1:30 p.m. at Army West Point's Malek Tennis Courts.
In the event of inclement weather, competition will move indoors to the Lichtenberg Tennis Center.
The Terriers enter the event at 8-12 with a 3-1 mark against Patriot League competition. They opened the dual season with a 5-2 win over top-seed Navy and followed up with a 7-0 sweep over No. 9 Holy Cross. One week ago, BU traveled to West Point, N.Y., and came away with a 7-0 win over No. 4 Lehigh and hard-fought 4-3 loss to No. 2 Army.
BU will be the No. 3 seed for the first time since joining the conference in the summer of 2013 and will try to become the second-ever No. 3 seed to win the PL title after American accomplished the feat in 2004. The Terriers have captured two titles apiece as the No. 1 and 2 seed by posting a perfect 12-0 record. Last season marked their toughest test to the NCAAs, as they lost three points total with a 4-2 win over No. 3 Navy and 4-1 victory against the top-seed Black Knights following a 4-0 win over No. 7 Loyola Maryland.
Seeded No. 6 this year, the Greyhounds (14-3) have yet to claim a point in four Patriot League tournament appearances and went 3-3 this year in conference play with wins over No. 5 Bucknell, No. 7 Lafayette and No. 9 Holy Cross. Their earlier losses came against Army, Navy and Lehigh by a combined score of 16-2. Friday's quarterfinal matchup will mark the second meeting between the two schools since they both became members of the PL in 2013.
BU has a mix of experience and youth on this year's squad. 2015 PL Tournament MVP and senior Iryna Kostirko has collected nine wins at No. 1 singles to push her career total to 56 singles victories. Reigning PL Player of the Year and junior Remi Ramos leads the Terriers with 11 wins during the dual season at the No. 2 slot. Junior Sophia Kryloff owns five singles wins this year as well, including four at No. 6, and played a critical role in helping the Terriers reach the NCAAs last season with a third-set come-from-behind win over Army.
The Terriers have been without 2016 PL Tournament MVP and junior Sabrina Faybyshev all of 2018 due to injury, but the freshman class has stepped up in her absence. Emily Kim owns a team-high 18 wins this year with a 7-6 mark at No. 3 singles and is riding a five-match win streak, while freshman Lily Burchell is 7-5 at line 4. Classmate Katya Martens is 10-6 in dual season action with a 7-6 mark in the No. 5 slot.
In doubles action, head coach Lesley Sheehan has primarily used the same three duos. Burchell and Ramos have teamed for a 15-7 record to lead the Terriers, while Kim and Kostirko have earned 11 wins. Martens and fellow freshman Dani Blaser are third on the team with nine doubles wins.
The winner of Friday's match will face either No. 2 Army or No. 7 Lafayette on Saturday in the semifinals at 2 p.m. The last two remaining teams will face off for the automatic NCAA berth Sunday at 12 p.m.
2018 Patriot League Women's Tennis Tournament Schedule
Thursday, April 19 - First Round
No. 8 Colgate def. No. 9 Holy Cross, 4-0
Friday, April 20 - Quarterfinals
No. 1 Navy vs. No. 8 Colgate, 8:30 a.m.
No. 4 Lehigh vs. No. 5 Bucknell, 11 a.m.
No. 3 Boston University vs. No. 6 Loyola Maryland, 1:30 p.m.
No. 2 Army West Point vs. No. 7 Lafayette, 4 p.m.
Saturday, April 21 - Semifinals
1/8/9 winner vs. 4/5 winner, 10 a.m.
3/6 winner vs. 2/7 winner, 2 p.m.
Sunday, April 22 - Championship
Semifinal 1 winner vs. Semifinal 2 winner, 12 p.m.
