April 8, 2018
The University of Notre Dame women’s tennis team (10-10, 2-8 ACC) fell to NC State (12-11, 5-5 ACC) 4-3 in a close battle between two evenly matched Atlantic Coast Conference foes at the Eck Tennis Pavilion on Sunday, April 8.
It was dramatic encounter throughout the afternoon, with the Wolfpack earning the doubles point via two tiebreakers while also clinching the match with an 18-point, second-set tiebreaker at number four singles.
Cameron Corse and Zoe Spence earned a victory for the Irish in doubles, with Allison Miller (#1), Zoe Spence (#3) and Ally Bojczuk (#4) posting wins in the singles matches.
HOW IT HAPPENED
There was no lack of drama to start the match in the doubles competition. Cameron Corse and Zoe Spence continued their strong weekend, upending the No. 19 NC State duo of Anna Rogers and Claudia Wiktorin, 6-4.
Corse and Spence would end their two-match weekend with victories over No. 1 North Carolina and No. 19 NC State.
Over at the third doubles match, the Irish team of Rachel Chong and Bess Waldram rallied from a 1-5 deficit to force a tiebreaker at 6-6 before falling 7-2.
The even battle continued at number two doubles – where Brooke Broda and Allison Miller found themselves in a tiebreaker after a marathon final point to make the match 6-6 against NC State’s Adriana Reami and Amanda Rebol. Reami and Rebol eventually won the tiebreaker 7-2 and earned the doubles point for the visiting Wolfpack.
In the singles matches, the two teams would end up fighting to the end to find out who would earn the victory. After Brooke Broda fell 1-6, 0-6 at number two, Zoe Spence finished off NC State’s Taylor Bridges 7-5, 6-4 to put the Irish behind by a point in the match.
Bianca Moldovan eased NC State ahead 3-1 with a 6-3, 6-2 win at number five singles against Rachel Chong, but the Irish were still in the match with the outcomes in doubt at number one, number four and number six.
Surviving a first-set tiebreaker at 7-3, Ally Bojczuk carried that momentum in the rest of the match and won at number six 7-6, 6-3.
With Allison Miller ahead of No. 80 Anna Rogers at number one 6-3, 1-6, 5-2, most of the attention in Eck Pavilion turned to the battle at number four between Cameron Corse and Claudia Wiktorin.
After falling in the first set 4-6, Corse had taken a 5-4 lead in the second but Wiktorin fought to even the set at 6-6 and force a tiebreaker. Corse built a 5-2 lead in that tiebreaker, but Wiktorin was able to rally for a 10-8 victory and clinch the match for the visitors.
Miller would finish off Rogers 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 to earn the third match point for the Irish.
NOTRE DAME HEAD COACH Jay Louderback
On the match outcomeââ’¬¦
“We played well and put ourselves in position but we just didn’t finish. You have to give (NC State) credit for finishing off the close matches. We were right where we wanted to be, but we didn’t finish.”
One the performance of the number one doubles team Cameron Corse and Zoe Spenceââ’¬¦
“They have played well all year. Now that we have moved them up to number one they are playing even better.”
NEXT UP
The Irish will travel to Boston College (April 13) and Syracuse (April 15) in the final ACC regular-season road trip of 2017-18.