Britney Sanders looks to improve on her 13-3 dual record as the Irish tangle with Michigan on Wednesday.

Irish Close Road Trip With Midweek Tilt Against Michigan

March 20, 2012

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Back on the mainland after a successful 3-0 trip to Hawai’i, the 17th-ranked University of Notre Dame women’s tennis team closes its four-match road trip against #20 Michigan Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. (ET) at the Varsity Tennis Center in Ann Arbor, Mich.

The Irish enter the contest with a record of 12-4 overall. Over their last eight matches, the team has posted a 7-1 record and recorded two victories over top-25 opponents. Most recently, Notre Dame posted its fourth perfect match of the season, defeating #59 Wyoming, 7-0.

Seniors Shannon Mathews (Birmingham, Mich.) and Kristy Frilling (Sidney, Ohio) continue to represent the top doubles team in the nation, holding an 11-4 overall dual record with seven wins against nationally-ranked opposition. The two also both rank nationally in the single poll, with Mathews checking in at 49th and Frilling at 84th.

Michigan, meanwhile, enters the contest with a 7-5 record, including a 3-1 mark in home contests. The Wolverines have faced seven teams in the national top-25, carrying a record of 2-5 in those tussles. Most recently, they lost a 4-3 contest to #15 North Carolina.

Brooke Bolender and Emina Bektas lead the Wolverines in doubles action, as the pairing ranks seventh nationally, while four members of the team rank in singles. Bektas (10th) leads the way for Michigan, followed by Bolender (64th), Sam Critser (106th) and Mimi Nguyen (124th).

This will be the 33rd career matchup between the two programs, with Notre Dame holding a 22-10 advantage in the series. Last season, the Wolverines defeated the Irish by a score of 4-3, but prior to that victory Notre Dame had claimed victories in three consecutive matchups. This also will be the 10th-overall and fifth-straight meeting in which both teams rank in the top 25 at the time of the match. In the previous nine contests, the Irish hold a commanding 8-1 lead.

Live streaming video and scoring can be followed through the women’s tennis page on MGoBlue.com. Be sure to check back with UND.com for a complete recap of the Irish.

–ND–