Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website

Irish Down Boston College 6-1 in BIG EAST Opener

Feb. 14, 2004

BLACKSBURG, Va. – The 26th-ranked University of Notre Dame women’s tennis team (4-1, 1-0) opened conference play with a 6-1 win over Boston College (2-2, 0-2) Saturday afternoon at the Burrows-Burleson Tennis Center on the Virginia Tech campus. The Irish swept the doubles portion and won five of six singles matches, four in straight sets. Notre Dame will be in action again tomorrow, taking on host #67 Virginia Tech at 10 a.m. (EST).

Sophomore Lauren Connelly (Oklahoma City, Okla./Bishop McGuinness H.S.) remained unbeaten this spring in both singles and doubles as she delivered the clinching win for the Irish at No. 4 singles, with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over BC’s Morgan Landes.

The Irish took an early lead with sweep of the doubles matches. Senior co-captain Alicia Salas (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek H.S.) and Lauren Connelly were the first off the court with an 8-1 win over BC’s Allison Ashley and Szilvia Szegedi at the No. 2 postion. Salas and Conelly have not lost a match this spring and are ranked 39th nationally with an 11-2 overall record.

Junior Sarah Jane Connelly (Oklahoma City, Okla./Bishop McGuinness H.S.) and sophomore Kristina Stastny (St. Louis, Mo./St. Joseph’s Academy) clinched the point for Notre Dame at No. 3 defeating the Eagles’ Morgan Landes and Allison Nash 8-3.

Freshmen Catrina Thompson (Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman H.S.) and Christian Thompson (Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman H.S.) completed the doubles sweep with an 8-3 victory over Emily Hellburg and Nida Waseem at the top position.

In singles, Sarah Jane Connelly and Catrina Thompson each had striaght-set wins to give the Irish a 3-0 advantage. Connelly defeated BC’s Nash 6-4, 6-2 at the No. 5 position, while Thompson upended Ashley 6-3, 6-1 at No. 3.

After the outcome was determined, Christina Thompson edged Nida Waseem at the No. 2 position, 6-2, 7-5. While at No. 1, Alicia Salas outlasted Szilvia Szegedi in three-set win as the last match on court, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2.

Boston College’s lone win came at No. 6 singles, as Amy Molten defeated Stastny in a match tie-breaker, 3-6, 6-4, (1-0).

Because the conference does not require round robin play, Notre Dame does not play a traditional BIG EAST schedule. The Irish have only three contests against league teams during the regular season, and after tomorrow’s match will not see another conference squad until Miami visits Notre Dame on April 4.

#26 Notre Dame 6, Boston College 1

Singles

No. 1: #14 Alicia Salas (ND) d. Szilvia Szegedi 2-6, 6-4, 6-2

No. 2: #88 Christian Thompson (ND) d. Nida Waseem 6-2, 7-5

No. 3: Catrina Thompson (ND) d. Allison Ashley 6-3, 6-1

No. 4: *Lauren Connelly (ND) d. Morgan Landes 6-3, 6-2

No. 5: Sarah Jane Connelly (ND) d. Allison Nash 6-4, 6-2

No. 6: Amy Molden (BC) d. Kristina Stastny (ND) 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-6)

Order of Finish: 5, 3, 4*, 2, 6, 1

Doubles

No. 1: Thompson/Thompson (ND) d. Emily Hellburg/Waseem 8-3

No. 2: #39 L. Connelly/Salas (ND) d. Ashley/Szegedi 8-1

No. 3: *S.J. Connelly/Stastny (ND) d. Landes/Nash 8-3

Order of Finish: 2, 3*, 1

* denotes clinching match

Team Records: Notre Dame 4-1, Boston College 2-2

— ND —