Irish Knock Off #13 USC to Split ITA Kickoff Weekend

ATHENS, Ga. – The University of Notre Dame women’s tennis team competed in the peach state over the weekend as part of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s Kickoff weekend. The Fighting Irish began the weekend as the three-seed in the four-team tournament, taking on 13^th ranked USC Friday. The Irish knocked off the Trojans to take on the host Georgia Bulldogs and a chance to advance to the ITA Indoor Nationals later this spring. Notre Dame dropped the final contest of the weekend 4-1 to the sixth-ranked Bulldogs.

The weekend started Friday night in doubles competition with the Trojans. The Irish dropped the point, falling behind early to the 13^th-ranked team in the country. Akari Matsuno tied the game up with a 6-3, 6-3 win at No. 6 singles. USC took the lead back with a wins at No. 2 and No. 4 to take the 2-1 lead. Notre Dame would go on to win the final three matches to secure the victory. Yashna Yellayi earned a 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 win at No. 3, Page Freeman knocked off 24^th ranked singles player Eryn Cayetano, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4. Freshman Bojana Pozder came up clutch. With the match tied at three, the rookie earned a 6-2 win in the first set, before falling in set two 4-6. She rallied to defeat Grace Piper, 7-5 in the third set to give the Irish the 4-3 victory.

The championship match didn’t go as scripted for the Irish. Notre Dame earned the doubles point as Julia Andreach and Carrie Beckman earned a 6-3 win at No. 2 and Yashna Yellayi and Rylie Hanford gave Notre Dame the early lead with a 7-5 win at No. 3 doubles.

Notre Dame couldn’t find the points in the singles competition. Georgia took the matches at two through five for the decisive four points needed for the win. Matches at No. 1 and No. 6 singles went unfinished.

1/27 – vs. #13 USC

Notre Dame Fighting Irish 4, #13 Southern California 3

Singles competition

1. Page Freeman (ND-W) def. #24 Eryn Cayetano (USC) 7-5, 3-6, 6-4
2. #2 Madison Sieg (USC) def. Julia Andreach (ND-W) 6-4, 7-5
3. Yashna Yellayi (ND-W) def. #17 Snow Han (USC) 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
4. #83 Emma Charney (USC) def. #102 Nibi Ghosh (ND-W) 7-5, 7-5
5. Bojana Pozder (ND-W) def. Grace Piper (USC) 6-2, 4-6, 7-5
6. Akari Matsuno (ND-W) def. Mckenna Koenig (USC) 6-3, 6-3

Doubles competition

1. Naomi Cheong/Snow Han (USC) def. Page Freeman/Bojana Pozder (ND-W) 6-3
2. #20 Madison Sieg/Eryn Cayetano (USC) vs. Julia Andreach/Carrie Beckman (ND-W) 5-4, unfinished
3. Grace Piper/Nathalie Rodilosso (USC) def. Yashna Yellayi/Rylie Hanford (ND-W) 7-5

Match Notes: Notre Dame Fighting Irish 5-0 Southern California 4-1;

Order of finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (6,2,4,3,1,5)

ITA Kickoff Weekend – Athens, Ga.

Played Outdoors

Official: Karen Badger-Mabry  T-3:06  A-25

1/28 – vs. #6 Georgia

#6 Georgia 4, Notre Dame Fighting Irish 1

Singles competition

1. #19 Lea Ma (UGA) vs. Page Freeman (ND-W) 6-3, 2-6, 1-2, unfinished
2. #31 Dasha Vidmanova (UGA) def. Julia Andreach (ND-W) 7-5, 6-2
3. Mell Reasco (UGA) def. Yashna Yellayi (ND-W) 6-3, 6-2
4. #100 Meg Kowalski (UGA) def. #102 Nibi Ghosh (ND-W) 6-0, 6-3
5. Ania Hertel (UGA) def. Bojana Pozder (ND-W) 6-3, 6-1
6. Mai Nirundorn (UGA) vs. Akari Matsuno (ND-W) 4-6, 5-4, unfinished

Doubles competition

1. Guillermina Grant/Mai Nirundorn (UGA) vs. Page Freeman/Bojana Pozder (ND-W) 4-5, unfinished
2. Julia Andreach/Carrie Beckman (ND-W) def. Meg Kowalski/Mell Reasco (UGA) 6-3
3. Yashna Yellayi/Rylie Hanford (ND-W) def. Ania Hertel/Anastasiia Lopata (UGA) 7-5

Match Notes: Notre Dame Fighting Irish 5-1 Georgia 2-0; National ranking #6

Up Next

Notre Dame is back in action Sunday, February 5^th as it heads to Champaign, Illinois for a matchup with the Fighting Illini at 11 a.m.