April 2, 2006
LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The second-ranked University of Notre Dame women’s tennis team (18-1) jumped out to a 4-0 advantage and eventually prevailed 4-3 against #39 Purdue Sunday afternoon at the Varsity Tennis Courts for the 300th victory under head coach Jay Louderback. The Irish will conclude the regular-season next week, playing a trio of home matches. Notre Dame will welcome #6 Northwestern on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. (ET) before taking on a pair of new BIG EAST Conference opponents: Friday vs. DePaul at 3:30 p.m. and Sunday vs. Marquette at Noon.
The Irish swept the doubles matches and then won the first three singles matches completed. The Boilermakers then got a pair of three-set victories and a match-tiebreaker win to provide the final margin.
Notre Dame lost just 10 total games en route to winning the doubles point for the 19th time in as many matches. The Irish swept the doubles for the third straight match and 14th time this spring. First done was the third-ranked squad of junior All-Americans Catrina Thompson (Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman H.S.) and Christian Thompson (Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman H.S.), who won 8-2 against Brittany Beier and Mallory Voelker at No. 1. The twins have won five in a row and are 18-3 this season, including 12-2 in dual-match action.
Next off were seniors Lauren Connelly (Oklahoma City, Okla./Bishop McGuinness H.S.) and Kristina Stastny (St. Louis, Mo./St. Joseph’s Academy), who won 8-4 over Anna Dzeva and Brittany Minna at No. 3. The Irish veterans are 28-6 on the season, including 17-1 in dual play. It was their team-leading eighth point-clinching win of the spring.
Finishing off the sweep was sophomore Brook Buck (Yukon, Okla./Oklahoma Christian School) and freshman Kelcy Tefft (Enid, Okla./Chisholm H.S.), ranked 29th in the nation, who won 8-4 against Randi Schuler and Stephanie Wooten. That Irish team has won five in a row and is 27-4 on the season, including 17-2 in dual play.
Freshman Katie Potts (Brookfield, Wis./Divine Savior Holy Angels H.S.) won quickly at No. 6 over Minna (6-1, 6-0) in the only singles match that was not close. It was the sixth straight win for Potts, who is 18-1 this spring and 24-4 overall this season.
Catrina Thompson, ranked 30th, dropped the opening set against 60th-ranked Schuler at No. 1, but came back for a 1-6, 6-3, 6-1 win to put the Irish up 2-0. It was the third time this season that Thompson has won after losing the first set, and she is now 23-9 overall and 13-4 in dual play. She has 11 wins over nationally-ranked players.
Buck got the clincher for the second match in a row and third time this season by beating Voelker 7-5, 7-6 at No. 3 to make the score 4-0. The ND sophomore is 18-9 overall and 12-6 in dual action.
Beier got Purdue on the board with a 6-4, 0-6, 6-2 upset of 74th-ranked Christian Thompson at No. 2. Wooten then followed with a three-set upset of her own, beating 110th-ranked Tefft 6-0, 2-6, 7-6 at No. 4. Dzeva then came through with a 4-6, 7-6, 1-0 (10-8) victory against Stastny at No. 5 to provide the final margin.
#2 Notre Dame 4, #39 Purdue 3SinglesNo. 1: #30 Catrina Thompson (ND) def. #60 Randi Schuler (P) 1-6, 6-3, 6-1No. 2: Brooke Beier (P) def. #74 Christian Thompson (ND) 6-4, 0-6, 6-2No. 3: * Brook Buck (ND) def. Mallory Voelker (P) 7-5, 7-6No. 4: Stephanie Wooten (P) def. #110 Kelcy Tefft (ND) 6-0, 2-6, 7-6No. 5: Anna Dzeva (P) def. Kristina Stastny (ND) 4-6, 7-6, 1-0 (10-8)No. 6: Katie Potts (ND) def. Brittany Minna (P) 6-1, 6-0Order of Finish: 6, 1, 3*, 2, 4, 5DoublesNo. 1: #3 Thompson/Thompson (ND) def. Beier/Voelker (P) 8-2No. 2: #29 Buck/Tefft (ND) def. Schuler/Wooten (P) 8-4No. 3: Lauren Connelly/Stastny (ND) def. Dzeva/Minna (P) 8-4Order of Finish: 1, 3*, 2* - indicates clinching victory