Feb. 28, 2010
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The seventh-ranked Irish women’s tennis team earned their 10th win of the season with a 5-2 victory over No. 13 Tennessee Sunday at the Eck Tennis Pavilion.
Notre Dame moved to 10-1 on the season, while the Lady Vols fell to 6-4.The Irish are now 9-11 all-time against Tennessee and have won the last four consecutive matches.
Tennessee took an early 1-0 lead after winning the doubles point. Cosmina Ciobanu (Brea, Calif./Troy) and Colleen Rielley (Overland Park, Kan./Bishop Miege) won by forfeit at No. 3 doubles, while Kristy Frilling (Sidney, Ohio/Lehman & Abeka) and Kristen Rafael (Grand Prairie, Texas/Nolan Catholic) fell to Caitlin Whoriskey and Maria Sorbello, 8-1, at first doubles to even the match. Shannon Mathews (Birmingham, Mich./Cranbrook-Kingswood) and Chrissie McGaffigan (Davenport, Iowa/Bettendorf) rallied from a 5-2 deficit to tie Rosalia Alda and Zsofia Zubor, 6-6, at No. 2 doubles. The Lady Vols proved to be too strong as Mathews and McGaffigan fell in the tiebreaker, 9-8, and Tennessee clinched the doubles point.
Rielley tied the match at 1-1 for the Irish after Jennifer Meredith was forced to retire the match. The win was the fifth on the season for Rielley. No. 23 Frilling earned her 10th win of the season and seventh over a ranked opponent with a 6-2, 6-0 upset of seventh-ranked Whoriskey at first singles to put the Irish up 2-1.
Rafael cruised past Katie Lee, 6-1, 6-1, at No. 5 singles to give Notre Dame a 3-1 advantage. Rafael earned her third win of the season and second straight. Mathews clinched the win for the Irish with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over No. 37 Sorbello at second singles. With the win, Mathews improved to 7-4 on the season and now has two wins over top-40 players.
McGaffigan fell to Alda, 6-4, 4-6, 1-0 (10-8), at No. 3 singles, while Ciobanu topped Zubor, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 at fourth singles to wrap up the 5-2 win.
The Irish return to the Eck Tennis Pavilion when they host No. 23 Indiana Friday at 3:00 p.m. (ET).
Tennis Match Results
#7 Notre Dame 5, #13 Tennessee 2
Singles competition
1. #23 Kristy Frilling (UND) def. #7 Caitlin Whoriskey (UT) 6-2, 6-0
2. Shannon Mathews (UND) def. #37 Maria Sorbello (UT) 6-1, 6-4
3. Rosalia Alda (UT) def. Chrissie McGaffigan (UND) 6-4, 4-6, 1-0 (10-8)
4. Cosmina Ciobanu (UND) def. Zsofia Zubor (UT) 6-2, 4-6, 6-3
5. Kristen Rafael (UND) def. Katie Lee (UT) 6-1, 6-1
6. Colleen Rielley (UND) def. Jennifer Meredith (UT) 6-2, 3-0, retired
Doubles competition
1. Caitlin Whoriskey/Maria Sorbello (UT) def. Kristy Frilling/Kristen Rafael (UND) 8-1
2. Rosalia Alda/Zsofia Zubor (UT) def. Shannon Mathews/Chrissie McGaffigan (UND) 9-8
3. Cosmina Ciobanu/Colleen Rielley (ND) won by forfeit
Match Notes:
Tennessee 6-4; National ranking #13
Notre Dame 10-1; National ranking #7
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (6,1,5,2,3,4)
A-73
–ND–