Feb. 26, 2012
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The 23rd-ranked University of Notre Dame women’s tennis team won its third straight match on Sunday, holding on for a 4-3 triumph over 16th-ranked Georgia Tech at the Eck Tennis Pavilion. The win improves the Irish to 8-3 overall and 6-1 at home.
For the second straight contest, the Irish claimed the doubles point and an early lead with a sweep of all three courts. Sophomores Britney Sanders (Ontario, Calif.) and Julie Sabacinski (Plantation, Fla.) again closed out their match first, downing the 54th-ranked Yellow Jacket pairing of Lynn Blau and Elizabeth Kilborn at No. 2, 8-3. The Irish duo now sits at 3-1 since teaming up at the beginning of the homestand.
The No. 1 doubles match proved to be the clincher as the Irish claimed a victory in a battle of two top-10 doubles teams. Seniors Kristy Frilling (Sidney, Ohio) and Shannon Mathews (Birmingham, Mich.), ranked third nationally, knocked off the ninth-ranked pairing of Jillian O’Neill and Alex Anghelescu, 8-5. The win improves Frilling and Mathews to 7-3 and represents their fifth victory against ranked opposition.
Junior Chrissie McGaffigan (Davenport, Iowa) and sophomore Jennifer Kellner (Smithtown, N.Y.) completed the doubles sweep at No. 3, defeating Viet Ha Ngo and Muriel Wacker, 9-7. The Irish duo also now carries a 7-3 dual record and has won three consecutive matches.
In singles action, Sanders quickly moved the score to 2-0, defeating Blau (6-3, 6-2) at the No. 4 court. The Irish sophomore has now claimed five straight matches and holds a 10-1 dual record on the season. During her five-match winning streak, Sanders has dropped only one set.
Georgia Tech claimed the next two matches at No. 6 and 1 singles, respectively, to even the overall score at two. Notre Dame freshman Katherine White (Columbus, Ga.) lost a 6-3, 6-2 match to Wacker at No. 6, while #39 Mathews fell to #47 O’Neill 2-6, 6-0, 6-3 at No. 1.
Kellner, who now holds a record of 8-2 on the dual campaign, moved the contest to match point as she knocked off Ngo at No. 3 singles, 6-3, 6-1. McGaffigan clinched the victory shortly thereafter, defeating Jasmine Minor at No. 5, 7-6 (7-3), 6-3. After suffering through a two-match losing streak, McGaffigan has now won two straight and sits at 6-4 in dual matches.
Frilling saw her season-best, four-match winning streak come to an end at No. 2 singles as she lost a three-set contest (2-6, 7-5, 6-4) to #91 Kilborn. Frilling now holds a 7-4 record in dual matches and is 5-2 since moving to court two.
Notre Dame returns to the courts on Friday as it continues the six-match homestand against Iowa at 3:30 p.m. (ET) before meeting Duke at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Georgia Tech vs Notre DameFeb 26, 2012 at Notre Dame, Ind. (Eck Tennis Pavilion)#23 Notre Dame 4, #16 Georgia Tech 3
Singles competition1. #47 Jillian O'Neill (GATECH) def. #39 Shannon Mathews (ND) 2-6, 6-0, 6-32. #91 Elizabeth Kilborn (GATECH) def. Kristy Frilling (ND) 2-6, 7-5, 6-43. #124 Jennifer Kellner (ND) def. Viet Ha Ngo (GATECH) 6-3, 6-14. Britney Sanders (ND) def. Lynn Blau (GATECH) 6-3, 6-25. Chrissie McGaffigan (ND) def. Jasmine Minor (GATECH) 7-6 (7-3), 6-36. Muriel Wacker (GATECH) def. Katherine White (ND) 6-3, 6-2
Doubles competition1. #3 Kristy Frilling/Shannon Mathews (ND) def. #9 Jillian O'Neill/Alex Anghelescu (GATECH) 8-52. Britney Sanders/Julie Sabacinski (ND) def. #54 Lynn Blau/Elizabeth Kilborn (GATECH) 8-33. Jennifer Kellner/Chrissie McGaffigan (ND) def. Viet Ha Ngo/Muriel Wacker (GATECH) 9-7
Match Notes:Georgia Tech 5-5; National ranking #16Notre Dame 8-3; National ranking #23Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (4,6,1,3,5,2)A-62