Feb. 21, 2014
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The University of Notre Dame women’s tennis team fell in a heartbreakingly close match to No. 25 Georgia Tech, 4-3. The match came down to the last set on the final court, but the Irish were not able to win it today. Their record on the season is now 5-3.
“I thought we played singles really well,” said head coach Jay Louderback. “Our doubles have just been so disappointing. We lost two matches and we were down in the other, and we’re always having to win four singles. All six singles played really well, it’s just our doubles that’s been giving us a hard time.”
Doubles was going to be a hard battle for the Irish, especially at No. 1, where senior Britney Sanders and sophomore Quinn Gleason faced off against the first-ranked doubles team in the country, Kendal Woodard and Megan Kurey. Despite going up on them 2-0 to start, Sanders and Gleason fell to the Georgia Tech team, 8-5. Shortly after, senior Jennifer Kellner and freshman Monica Robinson lost to Natasha Prokhnevska and Muriel Wacker at No. 2 doubles, 8-5, clinching the doubles point for Georgia Tech.
Kellner was the first singles match off the court at No. 3, dropping only one game on her way to defeat Kurey, 6-0, 6-1.
Freshman Mary Closs finished next, defeating Alexa Anton-Ohlmeyer, 6-2, 6-4, at No. 5. Fellow freshman Robinson also clinched blew through her opponent at No. 4. She defeated Rasheeda McAdoo, 6-1, 6-2, and the Irish were then up, 3-1.
Despite coming back from a first set loss, sophomore Julie Vrabel lost her match to Wacker in the third set at No. 6, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2. Sanders then suffered a heartbreaking loss at No. 1 to Woodard. Despite taking the first set, 6-1, she lost the match in the third, 1-6, 7-6(2), 6-4.
With the match tied at 3-3, Gleason was once again the last match on the court. Her match against Prokhnevska came down to a close third set, but Gleason ultimately dropped the match to her opponent, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5. Prokhnevska’s victory sealed the win for Georgia Tech.
Notre Dame will not have much downtime, as the team will travel to play Miami for a Sunday match. The action will start at noon, and fans can follow along with live stats and find results on UND.com.
“It will be interesting to see how we play because we’ll be outdoors and we haven’t gotten to do that yet,” Louderback said. “I think we have a shot at beating them. But we’ll probably have 15 more of matches like today’s, so it’s our big deal is bouncing back quickly, because we have Miami in two days.”
Singles
1. Kendal Woodard (GT) def. Britney Sanders (ND), 1-6, 7-6(2), 6-4
2. Natasha Prokhnevska (GT) def. Quinn Gleason (ND), 3-6, 6-3, 7-5
3. Jennifer Kellner (ND) def. Megan Kurey (GT), 6-0, 6-1
4. Monica Robinson (ND) def. Rasheeda McAdoo (GT), 6-1, 6-2
5. Mary Closs (ND) def. Alexa Anton-Ohlmeyer (GT), 6-2, 6-4
6. Muriel Wacker (GT) def. Julie Vrabel (ND), 6-3, 2-6, 6-2
Doubles
1. Kendal Woodard/Megan Kurey (GT) def. Britney Sanders/Quinn Gleason (ND), 8-5
2. Natasha Prokhnevska/Muriel Wacker (GT) def. Jennifer Kellner/Monica Robinson (ND), 8-5
3. Rasheeda McAdoo/Alex Anton-Ohlmeyer (GT) led Mary Closs/Julie Sabacinski (ND), 6-5
–Lauren Chval, Media Relations Assistant
–ND–