Dec. 4, 2001

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – University of Notre Dame women’s tennis coach Jay Louderback has announced the signing of three incoming freshman for the 2002-03 school year. Lauren Connelly (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Jennifer Smith (Charlotte, N.C.) and Kristina Stastny (St. Louis, Mo.) have signed national letters of intent to enroll at Notre Dame next year and join the Irish tennis team in the fall. All three are ranked among the top 25 current high school seniors in the country and they have combined for seven state high school titles and four national doubles titles in junior competition.

“We’re excited about this class,” said Louderback. “It is a great class in both singles and doubles. I think all three are going to have a shot at playing immediately for us. This class is going to be crucial for us since we lose five seniors after this year. They are going to have an opportunity to come in and make a big impact on our program immediately.”

Connelly will join the Irish after graduation from Bishop McGuiness High School. Currently she is ranked 58th nationally among players 18 and younger. She is the 25th-ranked high school senior in the United States and has a National Indoors doubles title to her credit. Connelly has won three Oklahoma state titles at No. 2 singles and has not lost a set in at the state tournament. In each of her first three seasons of prep tennis, she played behind her sister, Sarah Jane Connelly (Oklahoma City, Okla.), who recently completed her first semester of collegiate action by leading the Irish with eight singles victories and 14 combined wins.

“Lauren Connelly is a solid singles player and a great doubles player,” said Louderback. “She is one of the top doubles players in the country. She makes very few errors and is a smart player. Her sister Sarah Jane, who is here now, also is a great doubles player. I don’t know if it is something in the water or what, but they both play very good doubles.”

Smith, who did not participate in prep tennis at Charlotte Catholic High School, is ranked 26th in the country in the 18-and-under division and is 10th nationally among high school seniors. She also has a national doubles title to her credit, coming at the National Hardcourt championships.

“Jennifer Smith brings a lot of athleticism,” said Louderback. “She is a good athlete and has a very good all-around game. She volleys well, hits the ball well off the ground and has a good serve. Once she gets into college and plays a lot of college matches, she is going to be good. She is going to have an opportunity to play high for us.”

Stastny, a senior at St. Joseph’s Academy, recently captured her fourth state singles title, becoming the first player in history to win four Missouri state championships in singles. Stastny is ranked 21st in the 18s and is the eighth-ranked player in the nation who will enroll in college next fall. She has won doubles titles in the National Indoors and the National Clay Court championships. Stastny’s brother Yan is one of the top freshmen on the Notre Dame hockey team and her father, Peter, is a member of the National Hockey League Hall of Fame.

“Stastny is a great competitor,” said Louderback. “She comes from a great athletic family and competes maybe as well as any kid we’ve had here. We think she has the chance to develop into a great player and she’s a very good player right now. She has strong groundstrokes, covers the court very well and plays smart tennis, while still being a bit of a retriever. She has started recently to become a little more aggressive and, in college, I think she will be able to be very aggressive.”