March 6, 2016
By Joanne Norell
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The No. 31 University of Notre Dame women’s tennis team couldn’t overcome a batch of quick losses Sunday, falling to Atlantic Coast Conference foe No. 21 Miami (Fla.) 5-2 at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center.
The Hurricanes snared the doubles points, winning in identical 6-3 decisions at the Nos. 1 and 2 spots. Miami got the first win from Sinead Lohan and Clara Tanielian over junior Mary Closs and senior Julie Vrabel on Court 2, while No. 11 Stephanie Wagner and Wendy Zhang sealed it over No. 21 senior Quinn Gleason and junior Monica Robinson on Court 1.
Miami (6-4, 3-2 ACC) maintained control as play turned to singles, winning the first set on five of six courts to take command. The Hurricanes went ahead 2-0 as Ana Madcur defeated junior Jane Fennelly 6-2, 6-0 on Court 6, then 3-0 when No. 8 Wagner defeated No. 41 Gleason 6-1, 6-3 on Court 1. The Hurricanes clinched the win at No. 3 as No. 73 Zhang defeated sophomore Allison Miller 6-2, 6-4.
The Irish (8-5, 3-2 ACC) made it interesting on the remaining three courts. Each of the remaining matches stretched into third sets. Robinson and sophomore Brooke Broda each forced third sets after falling behind after the first, while Closs battled back to win on Court 4, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 to make it 4-1.
Broda, facing her first loss of the season, battled back on Court 5 to force a ten-point tie-breaking third set. The sophomore was down 1-5 in the second to Tanielian, but won six straight games to take the set before winning in the breaker 2-6, 7-5, 10-7.
The Irish will return to action Tuesday when they face East Carolina (9 a.m. ET) and LIU Brooklyn (3 p.m. ET) in a doubleheader in Puerto Rico.
No. 21 Miami 5, No. 31 Notre Dame 2
SINGLES
1. No. 8 Stephanie Wagner (UM) def. No. 41 Quinn Gleason (ND) 6-1, 6-3
2. No. 7 Sinead Lohan (UM) def. No. 56 Monica Robinson (ND) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
3. No. 73 Wendy Zhang (UM) def. Allison Miller (ND) 6-2, 6-4
4. Mary Closs (ND) def. Silvia Fuentes (UM) 6-3, 3-6, 6-2
5. Brooke Broda (ND) def. Clara Tanielian (UM) 2-6, 7-5, 10-7
6. Ana Madcur (UM) def. Jane Fennelly (ND) 6-2, 6-0
DOUBLES
1. No. 11 Stephanie Wagner / Wendy Zhang (UM) def. No. 21 Quinn Gleason / Monica Robinson (ND) 6-3
2. Sinead Lohan / Clara Tanielian (UM) def. Mary Closs / Julie Vrabel (ND) 6-3
3. Brooke Broda / Allison Miller (ND) vs. Silvia Fuentes / Clementina Riobueno (UM) 4-4, unfinished
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Joanne Norell, athletics communications assistant at the University of Notre Dame, has been part of the Fighting Irish athletics communications team since 2014 and coordinates communications efforts for the Notre Dame women’s soccer, men’s tennis, women’s tennis and fencing programs. Norell is a 2011 graduate of Purdue University and earned her master’s degree from Georgetown University in 2013.