Jan. 19, 2016
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame women’s tennis team will launch its season this evening as the Irish welcome Western Michigan to the Eck Tennis Pavilion.
WHAT: Match 1
WHO: No. 33 Notre Dame vs. Western Michigan
WHEN: January 19, 2016 | 6 p.m. ET
WHERE: Eck Tennis Pavilion
LIVE STREAM: WatchND.tv
TWITTER: @NDWomensTennis
Below is all information you need to know as the Irish get set to meet the Broncos:
Scouting Western Michigan
The Broncos enter Tuesday’s match with a 2-0 record, having defeated Oakland 6-1 and Valparaiso 7-0 to start the season last Saturday. The middles of the Broncos’ lineup has been especially successful dating back to the fall, with Melina Lyubomirova (11-4), Tracy Kuhle (10-5) and Katja Fevralev (10-1) recording at last 10 wins so far this season.
Irish In The Series
Notre Dame is 15-4 all time against Western Michigan, including 11-0 under head coach Jay Louderback. The Irish defeated the Broncos 6-1 in last season’s spring opener.
Rankings Summary
Senior Quinn Gleason and junior Monica Robinson enter the season as the nation’s No. 32-ranked doubles squad. The pair combined for a 22-9 overall record in 2014-15 and look to once again earn a slot at the NCAA Doubles Championship this spring. Gleason also comes in ranked 57th in the Oracle/ITA National Singles Rankings and will again sit atop the Irish lineup.
Who To Watch For
The Irish return all six of last season’s singles starters, and add a pair of talented underclassmen to the mix in sophomore Brooke Broda, who is returning from injury last season, and freshman Rachel Chong. Look for Gleason and Robinson to once again occupy the top lineup slots in both singles and doubles, but Louderback is likely to employ several different lineup combinations through the season’s first several weeks. Gleason (6-2) and Broda (6-1) posted the team’s best fall singles records, but sophomore Allison Miller could also be a difference-maker in the singles lineup after coming off her team MVP performance as a freshman.
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To keep up with all things Irish women’s tennis, be sure to follow @NDWomensTennis on Twitter and like Notre Dame Women’s Tennis on Facebook.
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Joanne Norell, athletics communications assistant at the University of Notre Dame, has been part of the Fighting Irish athletics communications team since 2014 and coordinates communications efforts for the Notre Dame women’s soccer, men’s tennis, women’s tennis and fencing programs. Norell is a 2011 graduate of Purdue University and earned her master’s degree from Georgetown University in 2013.