Jennifer Kellner's win at No. 4 singles advanced the Irish to the semifinals of the 2012 BIG EAST Championship.

Irish Set To Host In-State Rival Indiana And No. 16 Georgia Tech

Feb. 23, 2012

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The 23rd-ranked University of Notre Dame women’s tennis team continues its six-match homestand this weekend as it plays host to in-state rival and 74th-ranked Indiana on Friday at 3:00 p.m. (ET) before welcoming 16th-ranked Georgia Tech on Sunday at 9:00 a.m., with both contests taking place in the Eck Tennis Pavilion.

The Irish resume the home jaunt after splitting a pair of matches against #13 North Carolina and #57 Illinois on Feb. 18 and 19, respectively. The team dropped a close 4-3 outcome to the Tar Heels before rebounding for a weekend-ending victory over the Illini by an identical 4-3 count.

Notre Dame currently sits 6-3 and has three spots claimed in the singles and doubles rankings. Shannon Mathews (Birmingham, Mich.) remains 39th in singles, while Jennifer Kellner (Smithtown, N.Y.) ranks 124th. In doubles play, Mathews and Kristy Frilling (Sidney, Ohio) rank third nationally. Additionallly, both Frilling and Britney Sanders (Ontario, Calif.) enter this weekend’s matches on modest three-match winning streaks with four of the combined six victories coming against ranked foes.

Indiana carries an 8-2 record into the weekend, while earning a spot in the national top-75 for the first time on the season. Despite not having any players in the singles or doubles rankings, the Hoosiers are paced by Kayla Fujimoto and her perfect 8-0 record in singles contests. Alecia Kauss sports an 8-1 record in her nine doubles matches played to lead the team in victories, while Leslie Hureau carries a 7-2 doubles mark.

Notre Dame and Indiana have met 22 times in series history with the Irish currently holding a 15-7 advantage in the series. Over the last 10 matchups between the two teams, Notre Dame holds a commanding 9-1 edge including winning each of the last nine contests dating back to the `02 campaign.

Georgia Tech, which travels to Evanston, Ill., for a matchup with Northwestern on Friday, currently carries a 4-4 record and rides a three-match losing streak after participating in the ITA National Team Indoor Championships. Jillian O’Neill leads the singles lineup, ranking as the 47th-best player nationally, while the team of O’Neill and Alex Anghelescu lead in doubles as the ninth-best tandem.

The Irish and Yellow Jackets have met six times in series history with Georgia Tech leading the matchup 5-1. The two teams have played annually since ’07, including twice during the ’07 campaign, with the lone Irish win coming in `10 as the seventh-ranked Irish knocked off the 14th-ranked Yellow Jackets, 4-3.

Admission to both matches is free of charge, while those who are unable to attend can follow the matches via live stats through UND.com for both the and contests. Additionally, please visit for your chance to bid on an autographed tennis racket and carrying case. Proceeds of the auction will benefit the American Heart Association and Go Red for Women, in conjunction with the Notre Dame Tennis initiative to raise money for the fight against heart disease.

Be sure to check back with UND.com both days for complete recaps of the matches.

–ND–