Senior Kelcy Tefft

No. 2 Women's Tennis Rebounds With 7-0 Victory Over DePaul

April 14, 2007

MILWAUKEE – The No. 2 Notre Dame women’s tennis team rebounded from Friday’s upset defeat at the hands of Northwestern with a 7-0 rout of DePaul on Saturday afternoon. The Irish improve to 22-2 overall, while the Blue Demons drop to 11-10.

Notre Dame played without the services of senior Catrina Thompson (Las Vegas, NV) and freshman Cosmina Ciobanu (Brea, CA), but that was not apparent from their dominating victory.

The Irish quickly grabbed a 1-0 lead after cruising past DePaul in all three doubles matches. Sophomore Kelcy Tefft (Enid, OK) and freshman Kali Krisik (Arkansas City, KS) disposed of Dunja Antunovic and Anja Mihaldinec, 8-2, at No. 1 doubles. Tefft and Krisik were making their first appearance in the top doubles position. The tandem improved to 7-0 overall and 7-0 in dual matches.

Christian Thompson (Las Vegas, NV) and junior Bailey Louderback (South Bend, IN) clinched the doubles point for the Irish at No. 3. Playing together for the first time in their respective Notre Dame careers, the duo breezed past Clare Chmiel and Bojana Murisic, 8-4. The victory was the first of the season, in either singles or doubles, for Louderback, while Christian Thompson improved to 25-8 on the season.

Junior Brook Buck (Yukon, OK) returned to the Irish lineup after missing the past three weeks with a stress fracture. Buck teamed up with freshman Colleen Rielley (Overland Park, KS) for the first time this season and defeated Kirsten Gambrell and Petra Rehusova, 8-3, at No. 2 doubles. Buck now stands 23-5 in doubles action, while Rielley improves to 12-3.

Notre Dame left little doubt as it swept all five singles matches played in straight sets (DePaul defaulted at No. 6 singles).

Potts and Tefft each recorded “double bagel” victories at No. 5 and No. 3 singles respectively. Potts upended Chmiel, 6-0, 6-0, while Tefft knocked off Mihaldinec, 6-0, 6-0. Potts improves to 15-8 overall and 8-4 in dual action. Tefft is now 22-7 on the season and 17-4 in dual matches.

Christian Thompson clinched the match for Notre Dame with her straight-set victory over Antunovic, 6-1, 6-3, at No. 1 singles. Christian, playing in the top singles spot of the Irish lineup for the first time in 2007, improves to 17-13 overall and 14-9 in dual action.

Rielley, playing in the No. 2 singles spot for the first time since Feb. 14, beat Kirsten Gambrell in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2. Rielley improves to 24-10 overall and 13-7 in dual action. She also upper her record at No. 2 singles to 3-6.

Krisik closed out the scoring for the Irish with her 6-4, 6-2 triumph over Murisic at No. 4. She now stands 14-5 overall and 7-1 in dual matches.

Notre Dame returns to action Sunday afternoon at Marquette. First-serve with the Golden Eagles is scheduled for noon.

#2 NOTRE DAME 7, DEPAUL 0
Singles
*1. Christian Thompson (ND) def. Dunja Antunovic (DU); 6-1, 6-3
2. Colleen Rielley (ND) def. Kirsten Gambrell (DU); 6-1, 6-2
3. Kelcy Tefft (ND) def. Anja Mihaldinec (DU); 6-0, 6-0
4. Kali Krisik (ND) def. Bojana Murisic (DU); 6-4, 6-2
5. Katie Potts (ND) def. Clare Chmiel (DU); 6-0, 6-0
6. Default
Order of Finish: 5,3,1,2,4
* indicates clinching match

Doubles
1. Tefft/Krisik (ND) def. Antunovic/Mihaldinec (DU); 8-2
2. Buck/Rielley (ND) def. Gambrell/Petra Rehusova; 8-3
*3. Christian Thompson/Louderback (ND) def. Chmiel/Murisic (DU); 8-4
Order of Finish: 1,3,2
* indicates clinching match

— ND —