Cosmina Ciobanu clinched the win for the Irish with a victory at No. 4 singles.

Irish Return to BIG EAST Final with 5-0 Win over Syracuse

April 24, 2010

Box Score

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Even Mother Nature couldn’t stop the Irish today. Despite inclement weather forcing the match indoors, the fifth-ranked and top-seeded Notre Dame women’s tennis team rolled to a 5-0 victory over Syracuse in BIG EAST semifinal action Saturday at the Eck Tennis Pavilion.

The Irish will face DePaul when they make their 15th straight appearance in the conference final.The BIG EAST Championship is set for 1:00 p.m. Sunday at the Eck Tennis Pavilion or Courtney Tennis Center.

Notre Dame is 9-5 all-time in the BIG EAST Championship. The Blue Demons have been in the conference final just once previously when they faced the Irish last season. Notre Dame came away with a 4-2 win and its ninth BIG EAST title.

With the win, the Irish improved to 21-3 on the season, while the Orange fell to 20-3.

Notre Dame grabbed the early 1-0 lead after winning the doubles point. The third-ranked duo of Kristy Frilling (Sidney, Ohio/Lehman & Abeka) and Kali Krisik (Arkansas City, Kan./Arkansas City) quickly dispatched Emily Harman and CC Sardinha, 8-0, at first doubles. With the win, the Irish duo improved to 20-0 at No. 1 doubles this season.

Chrissie McGaffigan (Davenport, Iowa/Bettendorf) and Kristen Rafael (Grand Prairie, Texas/Nolan Catholic) clinched the point for the Irish with an 8-2 victory over Simone Kalhorn and Chelsea Jones at third doubles. McGaffigan and Rafael kept their perfect doubles record intact and are now 6-0 together at third doubles.

Cosmina Ciobanu (Brea, Calif./Troy) and Shannon Mathews (Birmingham, Mich./Cranbrook-Kingswood) were leading Alessondra Parra and Eleanor Peters, 7-4, at second doubles when the point was clinched.

Frilling, the nation’s 16th-ranked singles player, put the Irish up 2-0 with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Sardinha at No. 1 singles. The Irish sophomore is now 18-5 this season. Krisik notched her 15th win of the season and gave the Irish a 3-0 advantage with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Kalhorn at fifth singles.

Ciobanu improved to 21-3 and clinched the win for the Irish with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Parra at No. 4 singles. Rafael topped Christine Tan, 6-3, 6-1, at sixth singles to make it a 5-0 match. Mathews led Harman, 7-5, at second singles, and No. 112 McGaffigan held a 6-4, 3-3, advantage over Peters when the match was called.

Notre Dame 5, Syracuse 0

Singles

1. #16 Kristy Frilling (ND) def. CC Sardinha (SU) 6-2, 6-0

2. Shannon Mathews (ND) vs. Emily Harman (SU) 7-5, unf.

3. #112 Chrissie McGaffigan (ND) vs. Eleanor Peters (SU) 6-4, 3-3, unf.

4. Cosmina Ciobanu (ND) def. Alessondra Parra (SU) 6-2, 6-4

5. Kali Krisik (ND) def. Simone Kalhorn (SU) 6-2, 6-1

6. Kristen Rafael (ND) vs. Christine Tan 6-3, 6-1

Order of finish: 1, 5, 4, 6

Doubles

1. #3 Frilling/Krisik (ND) def. Harman/Sardinha (SU) 8-0

2. Ciobanu/Mathews (ND) vs. Parra/Peters (SU) 7-4, unf.

3. McGaffigan/Rafael (ND) def. Kalhorn/Jones (SU) 8-2

Order of finish: 1, 3

–ND–