April 13, 2012
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Looking to close out the regular season in style, the No. 39 Notre Dame men’s tennis team welcomes in BIG EAST rival No. 38 Louisville for a 1 p.m. Saturday match at Courtney Tennis Center on Senior and Campus Kids’ Day.
The Irish (17-7, 2-1 BE) are on a five-match winning streak after going to the heart of Texas and beating SMU (5-2) and then-No. 25 Texas A&M (4-3) last weekend. Sophomore Greg Andrews continues to pace the Irish, posting a 21-3 mark in the outdoor season. All six regular singles starters have reached the 10-win plateau with Billy Pecor notching a 17-5 record at three through six singles, while seniors Casey Watt and Sam Keeton have each won 14.
Louisville (15-8, 0-0 BE) has won six straight matches after losing four in a row. The Cardinals shake up their lineup quite a bit with seven different players rotating freely among the six singles spots. Leading the way in victories is Albert Wagner (17-4), who has posted wins at two through five singles. Michael Lippens (15-5) has won matches at one through five singles, while Sebastian Stiefelmeyer (14-6) has wins at one through three singles.
The first 100 fans that enter the match will receive free Adidas wristbands and hot dogs, hamburgers, lemonade and snacks will be available for the first 200 fans.
The match is Campus Kids’ Day. Following the conclusion of the match, the Irish will host a tennis clinic for the attending children on the court.
Saturday also marks Senior Day for four Notre Dame student-athletes.
Over the four years these four individuals have helped the Irish win almost 50 matches, while appearing in three BIG EAST and NCAA Tournaments.
Hailing from Austin, Texas, Daven Brodess has overcome injuries throughout his career to remain an active part of the team. A standout in the classroom, Daven has earned over a 3.5 GPA twice in a semester, while sporting over a 3.3 cumulative GPA.
Coming to Notre Dame from Wicklow, Ireland, Niall Fitzgerald has been consistently ranked nationally in doubles over the last two years, first with teammate Spencer Talmadge last year, and again with fellow senior Casey Watt this season. A team captain as a senior, Fitzgerald is a four-year Monogram Winner.
A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Sam Keeton is a four-year Monogram winner and has been a consistent number three singles player this season. He entered the 2012 spring season ranked 74th after a strong fall season.
A Gibsonia, Pennsylvania product, Casey Watt has been Notre Dame’s number one singles player for three seasons and entered the 2011 fall season ranked 28th nationally. A three-time All-BIG EAST performer, Watt is a four-time Monogram winner.
–ND–