March 5, 2010
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The No. 2 ranked Fighting Irish women’s tennis team rolled past the 30th-ranked Hoosiers of Indiana University, 7-0, on Friday afternoon inside the Eck Tennis Pavilion. Notre Dame only dropped one doubles match on the day and improved to an impressive 11-1 on the season. With the loss, Indiana is now 10-3.
Notre Dame jumped out to an early 1-0 lead after capturing the doubles point by recording victories at No. 3 doubles (due to an Indiana forfeit) and No. 1 doubles. Chrissie McGaffigan (Davenport, Iowa/Bettendorf) and Kristen Rafael (Grand Prarie, Texas/Nolan Catholic) were awarded with a default win at No. 3 doubles, while the team of sophomores Kristy Frilling (Sidney, Ohio/Lehman & Abeka) and Shannon Matthews (Birmingham, Mich./Cranbrook-Kingswood) knocked-off the 24th-ranked duo of Lindsey Stuckey and Evgeniya Vertesheva of Indiana, 8-3, in their first match as a doubles team for the Irish.
The Irish were unable to capture the doubles sweep, however, as the tandem of Cosmina Ciobanu (Brea, Calif./Troy) and Colleen Rielley (Overland Park, Kan./Bishop Miege) were defeated by Leslie Hureau and Myriam Sopel of the Hoosiers. Notre Dame led the final match 5-3 before Indiana was able to reel off five consecutive games to capture the set, 8-5.
Singles got underway with the Irish jumping out to a quick 2-0 advantage. At No. 1 singles, Frilling, ranked 14th in the latest ITA rankings, ran off 10 consecutive games to open her match before cruising to a straight-sets victory over 102nd-ranked Hureau 6-0, 6-1. She is now 11-1 in dual season singles play.
Ciobanu followed suit shortly thereafter, notching a straight-sets victory over Stuckey at No. 4 singles 6-1, 6-2. The victory moved Ciobanu to a perfect 3-0 on the season at fourth singles and improved her current win streak to six.
Rafael earned Notre Dame’s match-clinching point next at fifth singles. She jumped out to a 5-0 advantage against Charlotte Martin before closing out the first set at 6-1. The second set was taken in six straight, 6-0, giving the Irish an insurmountable 4-0 lead.
After dropping the first game of her singles match, Rielley was able to win 12 of the next 13 games at No. 6 singles to grab the third-consecutive straight-sets victory for Notre Dame, 6-1, 6-1 over Maria Guerreiro of Indiana.
Mathews was next to secure victory, defeating Vertesheva in straights, 6-4, 6-1. After trailing 2-3 in the opening set, Mathews went on to win four of the next five games in the first set before jumping out to a 5-0 lead in the second set and eventually closing it out at 6-1.
McGaffigan finished off the match at third singles, 6-2, 6-4 over Sopel. The win for McGaffigan moved her overall record to 9-3 at No. 3 singles and ended her two match skid in the process
The victory for the Irish advanced their winning streak to eight straight and the 7-0 score marked the fourth time this season that they have blanked an opponent.
The Irish hit the road for a spring break trip to Palmas, Puerto Rico where they will take part in tow matches at the Villa. The Irish are scheduled to face the 59th-ranked Tribe of William & Mary on March 9. The trip then concludes with a showdown versus the eighth-ranked Duke Blue Devils on March 12.
Indiana vs. Notre DameMarch 5, 2010 at Notre Dame, Ind.#3 Notre Dame 6, #30 Indiana 0
Singles1. #14 Kristy Frilling (UND) def. #102 Leslie Hureau (IU) 6-0, 6-12. #92 Shannon Mathews (UND) def. Evgeniya Vertesheva (IU) 6-4, 6-13. #90 Chrissie McGaffigan (UND) def. Myriam Sopel (IU) 6-2, 6-44. Cosmina Ciobanu (UND) def. Lindsey Stuckey (IU) 6-1, 6-25. Kristen Rafael (UND) def. Charlotte Martin (IU) 6-1, 6-06. Colleen Rielley (UND) def. Maria Guerreiro (IU) 6-1, 6-1
Doubles1. Kristy Frilling/Shannon Mathews (UND) def. #24 Lindsey Stuckey/Evgeniya Vertesheva (IU) 8-32. Leslie Hureau/Myriam Sopel (IU) def. Cosmina Ciobanu/Colleen Rielley (UND) 8-53. Chrissie McGaffigan/Kristen Rafael (UND) def. No player/No player (IU), by default
Match NotesIndiana 10-2; National ranking #30Notre Dame 10-1; National ranking #3Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (1,4,5,6,2,3)A-85
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