Oct. 2, 2015

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame women’s tennis team kicked off the season at the Purdue Fall Invitational on Friday, with the Irish experience success in both doubles and singles play at the Schwartz Tennis Center in West Lafayette, Indiana.

Junior Mary Closs and sophomore Allison Miller kicked off the day with an impressive run through the doubles bracket, advancing to Saturday’s doubles semifinal. Close and Miller received a first­round bye, then defeated Mississippi State’s Madison Harrison and Caroline Kelly, 6­3, and Purdue’s Andjela Djokovic and Nicole Robinson in a tiebreaker, 7­6(3). They will play Mississippi State’s Georgiana Petrasc and Anastasia Rentouli at 9a.m. ET tomorrow.

Sophomore Brooke Broda and freshman Rachel Chong also posted a doubles win in a 6­-2 victory over Nastia Vasukhina and Neli Ponomareva from Miami (Ohio) in the Round of 16 after receiving a first­round bye. The pair fell to Illinois’ Louise Kwong and Ines Vias in the quarterfinal, but will play Michigan State’s Athena Troulliot and Davina Nguyen in consolation play on Saturday.

In singles, Miller upended Purdue’s Deborah Suarez, 6­4, 6­1 in the Black Draw, while senior Alaina Roberts beat Michigan State’s Emmy Virus, 6­0, 6­4 in the John Wooden Draw. Chong and Broda notched their first career collegiate singles wins – both against Miami (Ohio) opponents – as Chong recorded a 6­3, 6­2 victory over Andrea Badileanu, and Broda defeated Neli Ponomareva, 6­2, 7­6(3).

The Irish will return to action a 9 a.m. ET at Purdue, while play will begin with the pre- qualifying singles rounds at the Riviera/ITA All­American Championships in Pacific Palisades, California, in which junior Monica Robinson will compete. Robinson will face TCU’s Mia King in the first round at 3:30 p.m. ET.

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.

Purdue Fall Invitational
October 2­4, 2015
Schwartz Tennis Center
West Lafayette, Ind.

Singles

Black Draw
Allison Miller (ND) def. Deborah Suarez (PUR), 6­4, 6­1
Allison Miller (ND) vs. Georgiana Patrasc (Miss St), Saturday
Allison Miller (ND) vs. Anastasiya Rychoagova (KU), Sunday

Gold Draw
Madison Harrison (Miss St) def. Mary Closs (ND), 2­6, 7­5, 7­5
Mary Closs (ND) vs. Louise Kwong (UI), Saturday
Mary Closs (ND) vs. Lexi Baylis (Mich St), Sunday

Purdue Pete Draw
Rachel Chong (ND) def. Andrea Badileanu (MU), 6­3, 6­2
Rachel Chong (ND) vs. Davina Nguyen (Mich St), Saturday
Rachel Chong (ND) vs. Kristina Vozniak (Miss St), Sunday

Boilermaker Draw
Brooke Broda (ND) def. Neli Ponomareva (MU), 6­2, 7­6(3)
Brooke Broda (ND) vs. Marta Ruedas­Burgos (PUR), Saturday
Brooke Broda (ND) vs. Daniela Pedraza Novak (UI), Sunday

Boilermaker Special Draw
Claudia Escribens (PUR) def. Darby Mountford (ND), 6­0, 6­2
Darby Mountford (ND) vs. Tara McElroy (MEM), Saturday
Darby Mountford (ND) vs. Adorabol Huckleby (Iowa), Sunday

John Wooden Draw
Alaina Roberts (ND) def. Emmy Virkus (Mich St), 6­0, 6­4
Alaina Roberts (ND) vs. Emily Struble (MU), Saturday
Alaina Roberts (ND) vs. Erin Rodriguez (MU), Sunday

Doubles

Friday

Round of 32
Mary Closs / Allison Miller (ND), bye
Brooke Broda / Rachel Chong (ND), bye
Deborah Suarez / Marta Ruedas­Burgos (PUR) def. Darby Mountford / Alaina Roberts (ND), 6­1

Round of 16
Mary Closs / Allison Miller (ND) def. Madison Harrison / Caroline Kelly (Miss St), 6­3
Brooke Broda / Rachel Chong (ND) def. Nastia Vasukhina / Neli Ponomareva (MU), 6­2

Quarterfinal
Mary Closs / Allison Miller (ND) def. Andjela Djokovic / Nicole Robinson (PUR), 7­6(3)
Louise Kwong / Ines Vias (UI) def. Brooke Broda / Rachel Chong (ND), 6­1

Consolation Round of 16
Darby Mountford / Alaina Roberts (ND), bye

Consolation Quarterfinal
Adorabol Huckleby / Aimee Tarun (Iowa) def. Darby Mountford / Alaina Roberts (ND), 6­4

Saturday

Semifinal
Mary Closs / Allison Miller (ND) v. Georgiana Patrasc / Anastasia Rentouli (Miss St), 9a.m.

Consolation matches
Darby Mountford / Alaina Roberts (ND) vs. Aslina Chua / Emmy Virkus (Mich St), 9 a.m.
Brooke Broda / Rachel Chong (ND) vs. Athena Troulliot / Davina Nguyen (Mich St), 9:45a.m.

Riviera/ITA All­American Championships
Oct. 3­11, 2015
Riviera Tennis Club
Pacific Palisades, Calif.
Pre­Qualifying Singles
Monica Robinson (ND) vs. Mia King (TCU)