Sept. 13, 2007
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame women’s tennis team was among some pretty exclusive company after the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) released its pre-season rankings. The Irish were one of just five schools in America to feature four ranked singles players and a top 10 doubles team. Clemson, Florida, defending national champion Georgia Tech and UCLA are the other four programs.
Sophomore Cosmina Ciobanu (Brea, CA) was the highest ranked Irish player at No. 45. Ciobanu finished her rookie season with an overall record of 36-5 and an incredible 26-1 mark in dual matches. She set new single-season school records in both singles (26) and combined (49) dual match victories. Ciobanu also tied Becky Varnum (1999) for fourth place on the single-season victory ladder.
Senior Brook Buck (Yukon, OK) was ranked 91st. Buck, who missed much of the spring season with an injury, closed last season playing the best tennis of her career. Buck enters the fall riding a 13-match winning. She finished the 2006-07 campaign with a record of 17-5 overall and 14-1 in dual action.
Sophomore Colleen Rielley (Overland Park, KS) enters the fall season ranked 110th. Rielley also had a breakout freshman campaign in 2006-07. She went 30-11 overall and 19-8 in dual matches, including a sparkling 16-2 mark at No. 3 singles. Rielley opened the last spring season ranked 31st after a stellar fall. She captured the 2006 ITA Midwest Regional Championships.
Junior Kelcy Tefft (Enid, OK) was the fourth and final Irish player ranked. Tefft, ranked 125th, finished 26-9 a year ago and 21-6 in dual action.
Buck and Tefft, 2006 ITA Midwest Regional champions, were ranked 9th in doubles. The tandem went 25-8 overall and 17-4 in dual matches in 2006-07. Buck and Teff ascended as high as fifth in the ITA rankings a year ago and finished the year at No. 27.
Notre Dame went 26-4 last season and reached the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals for the second consecutive year. The Irish were ranked as high as No. 2 and never dropped lower than No. 7 the entire season.
Notre Dame opens the season this weekend with the St. Mary’s Invitational hosted by the University of Tennessee.
— ND —