Nov. 5, 2005
URBANA, Ill. & COLUMBUS, Ohio – Members of the University of Notre Dame women’s tennis team combined for a 10-1 record on Saturday in action against players from Wisconsin and Louisville at Midwest Blast VII in the University of Illinois’ Atkins Tennis Center. Irish junior Catrina Thompson (Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman H.S.) also concluded her fall season with a three-set defeat in consolation play in the season’s second grand slam, the ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships in the Racquet Club of Columbus.
Six Irish players – seniors Lauren Connelly (Oklahoma City, Okla./Bishop McGuinness H.S.), Kelly Nelson (St. Petersburg, Fla./Shorecrest Preparatory School), and Kristina Stastny (St. Louis, Mo./St. Joseph’s Academy), sophomore Brook Buck (Yukon, Okla./Oklahoma Christian School), and freshmen Katie Potts (Brookfield, Wis./Divine Savior Holy Angels H.S.) and Kelcy Tefft (Enid, Okla./Chisholm H.S.) – were victorious in both singles and doubles.
Buck, the lone nationally-ranked singles player in the tournament at 54th, won 6-3, 6-3 against Maria Kokotsky of Louisville. The Irish sophomore then paired with Tefft to beat Wisconsin’s Elizabeth Carpenter and Nicole Beck 8-6. Buck and Tefft are ranked 60th nationally and are 9-2 this fall. The rookie prevailed 6-2, 6-2 in singles against Robyn White of Louisville.
Connelly and Stastny won 8-4 in doubles against Kaylan Caiati and Morgan Tuttle from Wisconsin to move to 12-4 this fall, the team’s top victory total in doubles. The team captain beat Suzanna Gracanin 6-2, 6-3 in singles, while Stastny downed another Cardinal, Bianca Gorbea, 6-0, 6-1.
Nelson and Potts were both dominant, each losing a total of just two games on the day. They beat Chelsea Nusslock and Lexi Goldin from Wisconsin 8-1 in doubles and then both notched 6-0, 6-1 wins in singles. Nelson beat Stephania Velazquez of Louisville, while Potts downed her teammate, Natalia Baez.
Senior Liz Donohue (Sioux Falls, S.D./O’Gorman H.S.) and sophomore Bailey Louderback (South Bend, Ind./Penn H.S.) both earned their first victories of the fall, combining to beat Pavlina Akritas and Anastasia Sokolova of Illinois 8-6 in doubles.
Thompson, ranked 27th, saw her run in the consolation draw of the National Indoors end by losing 2-6, 6-1, 7-5 to 26th-ranked Anne Yelsey from Stanford. The Irish junior finished 10-5 on the fall.
Midwest Blast VII (November 5)Singles#54 Brook Buck (ND) def. Maria Kokotsky (Louisville) 6-3, 6-3Kelcy Tefft (ND) def. Robyn White (Louisville) 6-2, 6-2Kristina Stastny (ND) def. Bianca Gorbea (Louisville) 6-0, 6-1Lauren Connelly (ND) def. Suzanna Gracanin (Louisville) 6-2, 6-3Katie Potts (ND) def. Natalia Baez (Louisville) 6-0, 6-1Kelly Nelson (ND) def. Stephania Velazquez (Louisville) 6-0, 6-1Ali Solomone (Wisconsin) def. Bailey Louderback (ND) 6-1, 6-0Doubles#60 Brook Buck/Kelcy Tefft (ND) def. Elizabeth Carpenter/Nicole Beck (Wisconsin) 8-6Lauren Connelly/Kristina Stastny (ND) def. Kaylan Caiati/Morgan Tuttle (Wisconsin) 8-4Kelly Nelson/Katie Potts (ND) def. Chelsea Nusslock/Lexi Goldin (Wisconsin) 8-1Liz Donohue/Bailey Louderback (ND) def. Pavlina Akritas/Anastasia Sokolova (Illinois) 8-6
ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships (November 5)Singles Consolation - quarterfinals#26 Anne Yelsey (Stanford) def. #27 Catrina Thompson (ND) 2-6, 6-1, 7-5