Feb. 22, 2005
Sophomore twins Catrina Thompson (Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman H.S.) and Christian Thompson (Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman H.S.) became the first University of Notre Dame women’s tennis duo to be ranked #1 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) national doubles rankings, when the most recent set was released today by the governing body of collegiate tennis. The twins were #2 in the last rankings but have gone 8-0 since then to improve to 16-2 on the season. The next chance to see the top doubles team in college tennis will be this weekend, when the 20th-ranked Irish play host to #13 Texas on Saturday at Noon (EST) and #57 Iowa on Sunday at 9 a.m., with both contests in the Eck Tennis Pavilion.
“The Thompsons really had a great fall, and that set them up for a really good season,” said Louderback. “But they have played well this spring, when they have faced some very good competition at No. 1. For them to be 8-0 in dual matches at this point is very good.”
The Thompsons, the #1 team in the United States Tennis Association girls’ 18-and-under national rankings prior to coming to Notre Dame, moved ahead of the previous top-ranked team, Cristelle Grier and Audra Cohen of Northwestern, after it lost twice this month: an 8-3 decision against #4 Maja Kovacek/Iva Gersic of New Mexico and an 8-6 contest vs. the then-unranked team of Shadisha Robinson and Caroline Basu of Georgia. In the first set of rankings to be determined by the ITA’s point-per-match computer formula, the Irish pair has 51.9 points, while the Wildcats – now ranked #2 – boast 47.04.
Following a rookie season in which they went 22-17 and became the first all-freshman doubles team from any school since 1998 to earn a spot in the NCAA Doubles Championship, the Thompsons were #7 in the preseason ITA rankings, released last fall. They proceeded to put together a fall season in which they went 8-2, became the first Notre Dame team ever to reach the title match of a collegiate grand-slam event, and stand as the only duo in all of college tennis to reach the semifinals of both of the first two grand slams. On the year, they boast an 11-1 record against nationally-ranked teams, including six victories against top-15 squads.
Prior to the 2004-05 season, the highest national ranking for an Irish doubles team was #5, by current assistant coach Michelle Dasso and Becky Varnum on two occasions during the 2000-01 campaign.
Notre Dame also had two singles players earn career-high rankings on Tuesday. Catrina Thompson moved up 37 spots to 32nd, while freshman Brook Buck (Yukon, Okla./Oklahoma Christian School) rose 25 positions to 60th. Thompson stands 11-4 this season, including 5-3 in dual matches at No. 1. She has five victories against ranked foes, including upsets of #27 Courtney Bergman of Harvard and #26 Aniela Mojzis of North Carolina this month. Buck is 15-6 on the season, 5-3 in dual action at No. 2. She boasts a 5-3 record against ranked opponents.