April 4, 2009
EVANSTON, Ill. – The third-ranked Irish women’s tennis team fell the No. 1-ranked Northwestern Wildcats, 4-3, Saturday at the Combe Tennis Center in Evanston, Ill.
Northwestern struck first, winning two of three doubles matches to clinch the doubles point.
Shannon Mathews and Colleen Rielley dropped their No. 3 doubles match, 8-5, to Elena Chernyakova and Samantha Murray. The 28th-ranked duo of Maria Mosolova and Keri Robison downed Cosmina Ciobanu and Kali Krisik, 8-4, at second doubles to clinch the point for the Wildcats.
Third-ranked Kelcy Tefft and Kristy Frilling defeated 14th-ranked Georgia Rose and Lauren Lui, 8-3, at No. 1 doubles to avoid the sweep.
Nazlie Ghazal downed Kristen Rafael, 6-0, 6-0, at fifth singles to put Northwestern up 2-0. Krisik put the Irish on the board with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Stacey Lee at No. 6 doubles.
No. 46 Murray edged Ciobanu 7-5, 6-1, at third singles to give the Wildcats a 3-1 lead. No. 36 Frilling upset 20th-ranked Georgia Rose 6-3, 6-2, to pull the Irish within one.
Second-ranked Mosolova topped No. 35 Tefft, 6-3, 7-6, at first singles to clinch the win for the Wildcats.
Mathews ended singles play on a high note for the Irish with a 6-2, 6-7, 1-0 win over Lui at No. 4 singles.
The Irish will take on Marquette Sunday in Chicago. The match is set to get underway at 1:00 p.m. (CDT).
–ND–