Junior Jane Fennelly claimed a win in both singles and doubles Friday at the Illinois Midwest Blast.

Irish Break Even At Midwest Blast

Nov. 6, 2015

By Joanne Norell

URBANA, Ill. – The University of Notre Dame women’s tennis team got its first taste of dual-style competition Friday during the first day of play at the Illinois Midwest Blast at the Atkins Tennis Center in Urbana, Illinois.

Playing in a hidden dual format tournament, the Fighting Irish played a pair of doubles rounds with a three-pair lineup against Purdue and Missouri, then capped the day with a six-player singles round against Illinois. The Irish took one of three doubles matches from the Boilermakers and two of three from the Tigers, then split the six singles matches with the Illini.

To start the day, junior Jane Fennelly and sophomore Allison Miller defeated Purdue’s Claudia Escribens and Natalia Davila, 8-6. Against Missouri, senior Quinn Gleason and junior Mary Closs defeated Brianna Lashway and Cassidy Spearman 8-1, while freshman Rachel Chong and senior Julie Vrabel defeated Brittany Lashway and Turner Yates 8-4.

In the afternoon, the 93rd-ranked Gleason upended Illinois’ Alexis Casati 7-5, 5-7, 7-5 at the No. 1 slot, while sophomore Brooke Broda downed Ines Vias 0-6, 6-1, 7-5 at No. 4 and Fennelly beat Jade Hilton 7-6(4), 7-5 on Court 6.

Action will continue Saturday as the Irish will play a singles round against Purdue beginning at 9 a.m. ET, then play Illinois in doubles no earlier than 11:30 a.m. ET.

Illinois Midwest Blast
Nov. 6-8, 2015
Atkins Tennis Center
Urbana, Illinois
All Times ET
Friday
Doubles
Purdue 2, Notre Dame 1
1. Krisztina Kapitany / Deborah Suarez (PU) def. Quinn Gleason / Brooke Broda (ND), 8-3
2. Andjela Djokovic / Nicole Robinson (PU) def. Mary Closs / Julie Vrabel (ND), 8-4
3. Jane Fennelly / Allison Miller (ND) def. Claudia Escribens / Natalia Davila (PU), 8-6
Notre Dame 2, Missouri 1
1. Quinn Gleason / Mary Closs (ND) def. Brianna Lashway / Cassidy Spearman (MIZZ), 8-1
2. Bea Machado Santos / Clare Raley (MIZZ) def. Brooke Broda / Allison Miller (ND), 8-3
3. Rachel Chong / Julie Vrabel (ND) def. Brittany Lashway / Turner Yates (MIZZ), 8-4
Singles
Notre Dame 3, Illinois 3
1. No. 93 Quinn Gleason (ND) def. Alexis Casati (UI), 7-5, 5-7, 7-5
2. Louise Kwong (UI) def. Allison Miller (ND), 6-3, 6-7(8), 6-4
3. Jerricka Boone (UI) def. Mary Closs (ND), 7-5, 2-6, 6-3
4. Brooke Broda (ND) def. Ines Vias (UI), 0-6, 6-1, 7-5
5. Daniela Pedraza-Novak (UI) def. Rachel Chong (ND), 6-4, 5-7, 6-4
6. Jane Fennelly (ND) def. Jade Hilton (UI), 7-6(4), 7-5
Saturday
9 a.m. – vs. Purdue (singles)
11:30 a.m. – vs. Illinois (doubles)
Sunday
9 a.m. – vs. Missouri (singles)

To keep up with all things Irish women’s tennis, be sure to follow @NDWomensTennis on Twitter and like Notre Dame Women’s Tennis on Facebook.

-ND-

Joanne Norell, athletics communications assistant at the University of Notre Dame, has been part of the Fighting Irish athletics communications team since 2014 and coordinates communications efforts for the Notre Dame women’s soccer, men’s tennis, women’s tennis and fencing programs. Norell is a 2011 graduate of Purdue University and earned her master’s degree from Georgetown University in 2013.