Senior Kelcy Tefft

Seven Irish Tennis Players Advance to Singles Round of 16

Oct. 25, 2008

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Seven members of the Irish women’s tennis team advanced to the Round of 16 Saturday at the ITA Midwest Regionals.

In the first round, freshman Shannon Mathews defeated Michigan’s Lindsey Howard , 6-1, 6-0. Freshman Kristy Frilling knocked off DePaul’s Anna Redesci, 6-2, 6-4, while sophomore Kristen Rafael defeated UIC’s Ilinca Cristescu 6-1, 6-1. Junior Colleen Rielley downed Selma Salkovic, of DePaul, 6-1, 6-3, and No. 43 senior Kelcy Tefft knocked off Ohio State’s Christina Keesey, 6-4, 6-0. Junior Cosmina Ciobanu, the 78th-ranked singles player, defeatd Purdue’s Stephanie Wooten 7-6, 6-2, and No. 98 junior Kali Krisik knocked off Akron’s Anna Baronayte, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2. Senior Katie Potts dropped her first round match to Minnesota’s Alessandra Ferrazzi, 2-6, 4-6.

In round two, Mathews defeated Minnesota’s Karina Chiarelli, 6-1, 6-1. Frilling downed Illinois’ Marisa Lambroupoulos, 6-3, 6-0, and Rafael knocked of Michigan’s No. 39 Chisako Sugiyama, 6-1, 6-4. Rielley defeated Ferrazzi, 6-4, 6-7, 6-3, while Tefft downed Wisconsin’s Elizabeth Carpenter, 6-0, 7-5. Ciobanu defeated Ohio State’s Kelsey Haviland, 6-4, 5-6, 6-4, and Krisik knocked off Indiana State’s Sarah Meghoufel, 1-6, 6-2, 6-3.

In her consolation match, Potts lost to Stephanie Danesis, of Miami (OH), 2-6, 6-1, 5-10.

In doubles action, Tefft and Frilling advanced to the quarterfinals after defeating Bowling Green’s Christine Chiricosta and Kelsey Jakupchin, 8-1, in round three.

Rielley and Ciobanu dropped their Round-of-16 match to Michigan State’s Lindsey Lonergan and Stephanie Kebler, 8-9. Krisik and Mathews lost to Ohio State’s Kristin Flower and Julie Blackmore, 7-9.

The Irish will wrap up play Sunday at the ITA Midwest Regionals.

–ND–