Alex Livingston Shines, but Cougar Tennis Falls

With seven matches left to play and their playoff chances already endangered after a 4-1 loss to Watchung Hills in the first round on Tuesday, the Columbia girls tennis team did not get a break on Wednesday either.

The always difficult Newark Academy girls came to town to play at South Orange Middle School and handed the Red and Black girls a convincing 4-1 loss.

Despite the overall record of the girls falling to 5-11, Columbia No. 1 singles player Alex Livingston has continued her stellar play this season, all while battling a sore shoulder.

If it was hurting during the match, it could hardly be noticed on Wednesday. Livingston breezed past Molly Alter in straight sets, dropping just a single game. Her match was over in less than an hour, improving her record to 15-2 this season and preparing her for a run at a state singles title as the No. 12 overall seed.

“I felt really sore, but you try not to think about it and take one point at a time,” Livingston said.

The first four rounds of the state tournament begin this weekend in Mercer County Park. Should she advance, Livingston will have to play four matches in two days, something that could certainly test her shoulder.

“I feel really good. I’m coming in playing a lot of matches, so I’m feeling good with my play,” Livingston said. “I’m a little worried, but you can’t really do much about it. You just have to play through it, and I want to win.”

The rest of the Cougar girls struggled against the Lady Minutemen on Wednesday, just as they've struggled against most teams in the newly formed American Division in the Super Essex Conference. At second singles, Julia LesterTaylor lost to Allie Cohen 6-1, 6-2. At third, Danielle Lee did not go quietly, but eventually fell 6-3, 6-1.

The first doubles tandem of Hannah Epstein and Madison Munoz fell to Newark Academy’s Allie Eastroff and Emily Heller, 6-2, 6-2, and Columbia’s Ivanna Thornton and Kelsey Kramer fell to Katie Bu and Erica Jacobs, 6-0, 6-1.

“It’s tough being in this division. We’re a school that doesn’t have a lot of depth outside of our number one player,” said Columbia head coach, Tom Fraioli. “But you get better when you play better teams… You don’t learn all the time by winning, especially if you’re playing weaker teams.”

The Cougars will try to get back on the winning track on Friday at Montclair High School.