Irish Complete Perfect Weekend to Begin 2023 Season

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame Women’s tennis team completed a perfect 4-0 weekend inside Eck Tennis Pavilion to start the 2023 season this past weekend. The Fighting Irish earned dual match victories over Michigan State and Butler on Saturday, before sweeping Xavier and UIC Sunday. Notre Dame lost just three points all weekend, giving up one to Butler and falling in doubles and in one singles match with UIC.

The weekend started Saturday afternoon as the Irish welcomed the Michigan State Spartans to town. Notre Dame quickly got out to an early lead, handling the doubles event with wins from Julia Andreach and Carrie Beckman (6-0) at No. 3, and Page Freeman and Bojana Pozder notched a 6-3 win at No. 1. For good measure, Rylie Hanford and Yashna Yellayi added a 6-4 win at No. 2.

Singles play started up and Notre Dame took care of business, winning all six matches. Freeman, Andreach, Nibi Ghosh and Yellayi handled their matches in straight sets in flights 1-4, respectively. Pozder needed a third set at No. 5 for the point before Akari Matsuno earned a 6-1, 6-3 win at No. 6.

The nightcap of Saturday’s doubleheader saw a similar result in favor of the Irish. In doubles, Hanford and Yellayi earned a 6-0 win at No. 2, before Maria Olivia Castedo and Matsuno teamed for a 6-2 win at No. 3 to secure the point.

Ghosh earned a straight set victory playing No. 1 singles for the first time this season. Pozder and Hanford each went three sets at No. 2 and No. 3, with Pozder edging her opponent 6-7, 6-1, 6-0. Beckman and Meghan Coleman added straight set wins at No. 4 and No. 5 and Alex Kuo added a three-set win at No. 6 to round out the final match.

The winning momentum stayed on the Irish side overnight as Notre Dame earned a 7-0 win over the visiting Xavier Musketeers Sunday afternoon. The doubles point when the way of the Irish after Andreach and Beckman earned a quick 6-1 win at No. 3. Yellayi and Hanford rallied for a 7-6 (3) win at No. 2 to secure the point as the top flight went unfinished.

Singles action saw five of the six flights finish in straight sets. Freeman and Andreach took care of business at No. 1 and No. 2. Yellayi, Pozder and Matsuno were straight set winners at flights 4-6, respectively. Ghosh earned a three-set win over Abby Nugent to complete the sweep.

Notre Dame lost the doubles point for the first time this season in the final match of the weekend. Pozder and Castedo dropped No. 2 and Andreach and Beckman topped their opponent at the top flight. Kuo and Sforzo couldn’t find the points they needed, falling 7-5 at No. 3 as Notre Dame trailed for the first time this season.

The Irish earned straight set wins at No. 2-5 as Andreach, Matsuno, Beckman and Hanford all earned points and clinched the victory. Coleman earned a three-set win at No. 6 as Freeman dropped the matchup at the top flight.

1/21 vs. Michigan State

Notre Dame Fighting Irish 7, Michigan State 0

Singles competition

1. Page Freeman (ND) def. Ayshe Can (MSU) 7-5, 6-1
2. Julia Andreach (ND) def. Liisa Vehvilainen (MSU) 6-1, 6-3
3. Nibi Ghosh (ND) def. Juliette Nask (MSU) 6-4, 6-3
4. Yashna Yellayi (ND) def. Issey Purser (MSU) 6-3, 6-2
5. Bojana Pozder (ND) def. Marley Lambert (MSU) 6-0, 4-6, 6-2
6. 6. Akari Matsuno (ND) def. Nicole Conard (MSU) 6-1, 6-3

Doubles competition

1. Page Freeman/Bojana Pozder (ND) def. Ayshe Can/Liisa Vehvilainen (MSU) 6-3
2. Rylie Hanford/Yashna Yellayi (ND) def. Nicole Conard/Marley Lambert (MSU) 6-4
3. Julia Andreach/Carrie Beckman (ND) def. Issey Purser/Dagmar Zdrubecka (MSU) 6-0

1/21 vs. Butler

Notre Dame Fighting Irish 6, Butler 1

Singles competition

1. Nibi Ghosh (ND) def. Natalie Boesing (BUT) 6-1, 7-6
2. Bojana Pozder (ND) def. Chase Metcalf (BUT) 6-7, 6-1, 6-0
3. Delaney Schurhamer (BUT) def. Rylie Hanford (ND) 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
4. Carrie Beckman (ND) def. Norah Balthazor (BUT) 6-2, 7-5
5. Meghan Coleman (ND) def. Katie Beavin (BUT) 7-5, 6-2
6. Alex Kuo (ND) def. Emma Beavin (BUT) 6-4, 2-6, 6-1

Doubles competition

1. Rylie Hanford/Yashna Yellayi (ND) def. Natalie Boesing/Chase Metcalf (BUT) 6-0
2. Nibi Ghosh/Meghan Coleman (ND) vs. Veronika Bruetting/Delaney Schurhamer (BUT) unfinished
3. Maria Olivia Castedo/Akari Matsuno (ND) def. Norah Balthazor/Jordan Schildcrout (BUT) 6-2

1/22 vs. Xavier

Notre Dame Fighting Irish 7, Xavier 0

Singles competition

1. Page Freeman (ND) def. Imani Graham (XU) 6-2, 6-3
2. Julia Andreach (ND) def. Kat Lyman (XU) 6-0, 6-1
3. Nibi Ghosh (ND) def. Abby Nugent (XU) 7-5, 1-6, 10-4
4. Yashna Yellayi (ND) def. Abigail Siminski (XU) 6-2, 6-2
5. Bojana Pozder (ND) def. Anna Roggenburk (XU) 6-1, 6-3
6. Akari Matsuno (ND) def. Blessing Nwaozuzu (XU) 6-2, 6-1

Doubles competition

1. Page Freeman/Bojana Pozder (ND) vs. Kat Lyman/Abby Nugent (XU) 5-6, unfinished
2. Yashna Yellayi/Rylie Hanford (ND) def. Imani Graham/Anna Roggenburk (XU) 7-6 (7-3)
3. Carrie Beckman/Julia Andreach (ND) def. Emily Flowers/P. Franco Martinessi (XU) 6-1

1/22 vs. UIC

Notre Dame Fighting Irish 5, UIC 2

Singles competition

1. Agnes Gustafson (UIC) def. Page Freeman (ND) 1-6, 6-4, 6-3
2. Julia Andreach (ND) def. Tamara Malazonia (UIC) 6-2, 6-2
3. Akari Matsuno (ND) def. Ana Jover (UIC) 6-1, 6-2
4. Carrie Beckman (ND) def. Natalia Nikolopoulou (UIC) 6-1, 6-0
5. Rylie Hanford (ND) def. Zara Ryan (UIC) 6-3, 7-5
6. Meghan Coleman (ND) def. Cora-Lynn von Dunger (UIC) 6-3, 3-6, 1-0

Doubles competition

1. Julia Andreach/Carrie Beckman (ND) def. Agnes Gustafson/Ana Jover (UIC) 6-3
2. Natalia Nikolopoulou/Cora-Lynn von Dunger (UIC) def. Bojana Pozder/Maria Olivia Castedo (ND) 6-2
3. Tamara Malazonia/Zara Ryan (UIC) def. Alex Kuo/Sydney Sforzo (ND) 7-5

Up Next

The Irish return to the court this Friday, hitting the road to Athens, Georgia for a matchup with USC, before taking either the host Bulldogs, or Stetson in the four-team tournament.