April 23, 2009
NOTRE DAME, ind. – Just a few days after winning their second consecutive BIG EAST title, Notre Dame student-athletes took the top two BIG EAST women’s tennis awards and five members of the Irish squad were named to the all-conference team, the league announced Thursday.
Kelcy Tefft was named the BIG EAST Player of the Year, while Kristy Frilling earned the league’s Freshman of the Year honors. Both Irish student-athletes were unanimous selections to the all-BIG EAST team.
Tefft is the first Irish women’s tennis player to be named to the all-BIG EAST team for four straight years. The Enid, Okla., native went 3-0 at the BIG EAST Championship, improving her singles record to 27-13 overall and 4-1 in conference action this season.
Frilling earned Freshman of the Year and her first all-conference honors after notching a 26-9 overall record and an 18-8 mark in dual matches.
Kristy Frilling was named the BIG EAST Freshman of the Year and was a unanimous all-conference selection.
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Tefft teamed with Frilling to form one of the top doubles pairs in the nation. After opening the season ranked No. 1, the Irish duo stayed in the top three with a 21-2 dual-match record. Tefft and Frilling went 5-0 in conference matches this season.
Joining Tefft and Frilling on the all-BIG EAST team were Cosmina Ciobanu, Kali Krisik and Shannon Mathews. Ciobanu and Krisik earned their second all-conference honor, while Mathews garnered her first league nod.
Ciobanu went 20-3 in dual matches this season, including a 2-0 mark in BIG EAST play. Krisik is 18-7 on the season and is currently riding an 11-match win streak.
Ciobanu and Krisik formed Notre Dame’s second doubles team, compiling a 17-6 dual record and a 5-0 mark in BIG EAST action.
Mathews leads the Irish with a 30-6 overall record and a 24-2 mark in dual matches. The Birmingham, Mich., native went 4-0 in BIG EAST play and recorded a 20-8 doubles mark with junior Colleen Rielley.
The fourth-ranked Irish won their second consecutive and ninth overall BIG EAST title Sunday in Tampa, Fla., earning the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Championship, which begins May 9-10 at campus sites.
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