Nov. 4, 2011

USTA/ITA Indoor Championships

Flushing Meadows, N.Y. - Juniors Alex Kelleher and Olga Khmylev won their first two matches at the 2011 USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships hosted by Columbia University before falling in the quarterfinals on Friday.

Kelleher and Khmylev were defeated, 8-4, by Northwestern's Nida Hamilton and Linda Abu Mushrefova, the fourth seed in the national tournament. The pair was one of eight teams from the original 32 to advance to the quarterfinals.

The Eagle pair first defeated seventh-ranked Kayla Duncan and Kathryn Talbert of ACC-foe Wake Forest, 8-5. They then took down No. 19 Kristi Boxx and Abby Guthrie of Ole Miss, 8-5, to advance to the quarterfinals.

It was the first time BC players advanced that far on the national stage.

"Honestly, it was a first for our school so we just wanted to go as far as we could," Khmylev said. "We're a trying to start a new thing for BC."

The tournament run ends the Eagles' fall season. They open dual-match play with Dartmouth on January 21.