After an unexpected 4-3 loss Friday to Columbia, the women’s tennis team bounced back to defeat Cornell, 6-1, Saturday at the Cullman Courts.

The Bulldogs (12-5, 2-2 Ivy) demonstrated their tenacity as they turned things around and came back from a disappointing performance with one of their best matches of the season.

Christine Alford ’07 and Aimee Kim ’07, the No. 1 doubles team who make an unstoppable pair with Kim’s power and Alford’s finesse, led the Elis in doubles against Cornell (8-7, 1-4) with an 8-1 win. Though captain Stephanie White ’05 and Olivia Nix ’07 fell in the No. 3 match, 8-5, Reshmi Srinath ’05 and Rashmee Patil ’07 won the No. 2 match, 8-2.

Juliette Vartikar ’06 said that the Bulldogs were quicker and had more energy than Friday when the Elis lost the No. 1 and No. 2 double’s matches to Columbia.

Srinath, Patil, Kim, Alford and White all won their singles matches in straight sets. Using her strong serve, Srinath destroyed Akane Kokubo 6-2, 6-0 while Patil, an all-court player, downed Mollie Edinson, 6-0, 6-2. Kim cruised 6-1, 6-4, and White had an almost uncontested match, dropping only a single game en route to a 6-1, 6-0 rout of Nisha Suda. Alford had a more difficult time against Erika Takeuchi, but prevaied 6-4, 6-3.

Nix, the only Eli not to earn a victory in singles, retired because of an injury after dropping the first set to Cornell’s Melissa Tu. Nix has been having back spasms and with victory already secured, the Elis did not want Nix to risk further injury.

“She could have kept going but we had already clinched the match,” Kim said. “It wasn’t worth her staying out there even if her back is still hurting.”

Srinath, who beat Columbia’s Milena Kachar in three sets Friday, said she was satisfied with her performances over the weekend.

“The whole weekend was really great for me,” she said. “We were all really pumped up and fired up to get revenge and win today.”

As they did Saturday, the top Elis dominated the singles court Friday against the Lions (6-5, 1-3). Srinath, Patil and Kim triumphed but Columbia took spots four through six as well as the doubles point, giving the Lions the victory.

The home court advantage helped the Bulldogs, who have had a roller coaster ride of a conference season so far.

“We had a really great crowd,” Srinath said. “Our goal was to go undefeated in the Ivies. It has been up and down. We have to take it one match at time and learn from loses like we did today.”

The Bulldogs will travel to Cambridge to take on Harvard Friday before returning to New Haven to host Dartmouth Sunday.