April 8, 2010
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – After a seven-match road swing, the sixth-ranked Irish women’s tennis team returns home Friday to host South Florida in a 3:00 p.m. matchup at the Eck Tennis Pavilion.
The Irish compiled a 5-2 mark during their month on the road, including a 1-1 mark last weekend in Texas. Notre Dame fell to second-ranked Baylor, 6-1, Saturday, before topping Texas A&M, 4-3, Monday. The Irish are 16-3 so far this season.
Sophomore Kristy Frilling (Sidney, Ohio/Lehman & Abeka) is ranked 18th in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association and holds a 15-4 record this season. Freshman Chrissie McGaffigan (Davenport, Iowa/Bettendorf) is 12-7 as the 113th-ranked player, while senior Cosmina Ciobanu (Brea, Calif./Troy) leads the Irish with 16 wins on the season. Senior Kali Krisik (Arkansas City, Kan./Arkansas City) hit the double-digit mark last week as she notched her 10th win this year.
Frilling and Krisik team up as the nation’s third-ranked doubles duo and are a perfect 15-0 at No. 1 doubles. The Irish have won the doubles point in 15 of their 19 matches this season and have swept the point on eight occasions.
South Florida enters Friday’s contest with a 10-5 record after dropping its last match to Virginia Commonwealth, 5-2, on April 4. Seven of the Bulls’ 10 wins this season have come against ranked teams. South Florida is led by No. 41 Irene Rehberger, who teams up with partner Melissa Koning as the nation’s 16th-ranked doubles team.
The Irish are 4-1 all-time against the Bulls, including a 5-2 victory last season in Tampa, Fla. The two teams have met just one previous time at the Eck Tennis Pavilion with the Irish taking a 6-1 win in 2008. Notre Dame defeated the Bulls 4-1 to win the 2008 BIG EAST Championship.
Live stats and complete results will be available at www.UND.com.
–ND–