Jan. 31, 2010
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The sixth-ranked Irish saw their three-game win streak come to an end Sunday with a 5-2 setback at the hands of No. 17 North Carolina at the Eck Tennis Pavilion. Notre Dame falls to 3-1 on the season, while North Carolina improves to 5-0.
With the win, the Tar Heels advanced to the 15-team field at the National Team Indoor Championships.
The Tar Heels earned the doubles point after winning two of three matches. The 12th-ranked duo of Kristy Frilling and Kali Krisik knocked off the sixth-ranked Sanaz Marand and Sophie Grabinski, 8-4, at No. 1 doubles after rallying from a 0-2 deficit. Cosmina Ciobanu and Chrissie McGaffigan battled No. 22 Shinann Featherston and Katrina Tsang, but fell 8-6. Shannon Mathews and Colleen Rielley jumped out to a 5-3 lead, but couldn’t hold back the strong Tar Heel team of No. 28 Haley Hemm and Jocelyn Ffriend, who won the match 8-6 to clinch the point for North Carolina.
Grabinski put the Tar Heels up 2-0 with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Ciobanu at No. 5 singles. Featherston topped Rielley, 6-1, 6-3, at No. 6 to give North Carolina a 3-0 lead.
No. 33 Frilling gave the Irish their first point of the day and continued her four-match win streak with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Katrina Tsang at No. 1 singles. The Tar Heels answered quickly and clinched the win with No. 25 Marand’s 6-2, 6-1 win over Mathews at second singles.
The final two matches of the day went to tiebreaker sets as Krisik battled Zoe de Bruycker to a 4-6, 6-4, 1-0 (11-9) win, giving the Irish their second point. Despite a hard-fought tiebreaker, McGaffigan fell to Jelena Durisic 6-4, 6-7, 0-1 at No. 3.
Up next for the Irish is a 3:00 p.m. (CT) matchup with Kansas at Lawrence.
#17 North Carolina 5, #6 Notre Dame 2
Singles
1. #30 Kristy Frilling (ND) def. #100 Katrina Tsang (UNC) 6-4, 6-1
2. #25 Sanaz Marand (UNC) def. Shannon Mathews (ND) 6-2, 6-1
3. Jelena Durisic (UND) def. Chrissie McGaffigan (ND) 4-6, 7-6, 1-0 (10-7)
4. Kali Krisik (ND) def. Zoe de Bruycker (UNC) 4-6, 6-4, 1-0 (11-9)
5. Sophie Grabinski (UNC) def. Cosmina Ciobanu (ND) 6-0, 6-1
6. Shinann Featherston (UNC) def. Colleen Rielley (ND) 6-1, 6-3
Order of finish: 5,6,1,2, 4, 3
Doubles
1. #12 Frilling/Krisik (ND) def. #6 Marand/Grabinski (UNC) 8-4
2. #22 Featherston/Tsang (UNC) def. Ciobanu/McGaffigan (ND) 8-6
3. #28 Hemm/Ffriend (UNC) def. Mathews/Rielley (ND) 8-6
Order of finish: 1, 2, 3
–ND–