COLLEGE PARK, Md -- The Maryland women's tennis team was defeated by Columbia 6-1 on Saturday.  

In doubles the Terps gave a valiant effort, but came up short after dropping at the No. 2 and No. 3 spots.  Junior Zoe Kulkarni and sophomore Chloe Hamlin along with junior Eva Alexandrova and freshman Adela Josefova each managed to put up points in their respective matches. At the No. 2 spot the Terps faced Akanksha Bhan and Pauline Ferrari, finishing with a final score of 1-6. Hamlin and Kulkarni battled against Jennifer Kerr and Shivani Amineni, putting up a fight but falling 2-6. Freshman Ayana Akli and senior Kate Yemelyanenka were up 4-3 for the Terps at the time the Lions took the doubles point.

After Columbia took the lead in doubles, the momentum continued for the Lions into singles play. Columbia kept the pressure on the Terps, putting up victories at five of six spots. 

Maryland put up a fight in several matches, most notably by Josefova, Kulkarni and Akli. After dropping the first set to Melissa Sakar, Josefova came back to put up four points against the Lion in her second set, but ultimately fell 4-6 at the No. 2 spot. Kulkarni battled against Julia Haynes at the No. 5 spot, going back and forth until the end of the first set, until Haynes ended it 7-6, 6-2. 

Akli proved victorious at the No. 1 singles spot for Maryland over No. 65 ranked Bhan in her fourth ranked win of the season and first for the spring. After dropping the first set 5-7, the Terp battled back in the second to take it 6-2. In the super tiebreaker, Akli took the match defeating Bhan 5-7, 6-2, 10-5.

Maryland will be back in action on Sunday, Feb. 2 at noon against VCU in the Junior Tennis Champions Center.