March 15, 2011
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Jennifer Kellner (Smithtown, N.Y.), a freshman on the University of Notre Dame women’s tennis team, has been named the BIG EAST Player of the Week on the women’s side for the week of March 7, it was announced by the conference Tuesday.
The recognition for Kellner marks the first time she has been awarded the honor and is the third time an Irish player has been named Player of the Week this season, with Kristy Frilling (Sidney, Ohio) claiming the recognition twice before.
The Smithtown, N.Y., native finished the week with a record of 2-0 in singles play, while continuing her climb up the Irish rotation. She competed in her first career match at No. 3 singles against Indiana, registering a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Charlotte Martin in that match. Two days later she returned to her normal No. 4 position to claim her second win of the season over a ranked foe, knocking off Baylor’s 70th-ranked Karolina Filipiak, 4-6, 6-3, 1-0 (11-9).
Kellner currently holds an overall record of 17-2 in singles this year, including 11-2 on the dual season, while also currently carrying a nine-match winning streak and climbing to 107th in the ITA singles rankings.
Along with the pair of singles victories, Kellner also locked up a doubles win with partner Julie Sabacinski (Plantation, Fla.) against Indiana’s Kayla Fujimoto and Evgeniya Vertesheva, 8-6, at the No. 2 position.
–ND–