Nov. 3, 2016
By Joanne Norell
NOTRE DAME, Ind. -The University of Notre Dame women’s tennis team will be back in action this weekend at both the Dick Vitale Intercollegiate Clay Court Classic at Lakewood Ranch and the Notre Dame Invitational at the Eck Tennis Pavilion.
WHAT: Dick Vitale Intercollegiate Clay Court Classic
WHERE: Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club | Bradenton, Fla.
WHEN: Nov. 4-6, 2016
WHAT: Notre Dame Invitational
WHO: Notre Dame, Kansas, Denver, Illinois
WHERE: Eck Tennis Pavilion | Notre Dame, Ind.
WHEN: Nov. 4-6, 2016
TWITTER: @NDWomensTennis
Lakewood Ranch Rundown
Seniors Monica Robinson and Mary Closs will take part in the annual clay court tournament at Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club in Bradenton, Fla. The event, which benefits the V Foundation for pediatric cancer research, will feature a 32-person singles draw with a 16-team doubles bracket. Play will begin at 9 a.m. Friday and continue through the finals for singles and doubles on Sunday.
Notre Dame Invitational Insights
The balance of the Irish squad will welcome players from Kansas, Denver and Illinois to the Eck Tennis Pavilion this weekend. The event will be played in a hidden dual format from Friday morning through Sunday.
Last Time Out
The Irish last competed two weeks ago, with split squad action at the ITA Midwest Regional Championship and the IU Regional. At the ITA Midwest Regional, the Irish duo of Monica Robinson and Brooke Broda secured a runner-up showing in the doubles championships, while Robinson advanced to the singles quarterfinals. Both Broda and junior Allison Miller advanced to the singles Round of 16.
At the IU Regional, freshman Bess Waldram won the singles Flight 2 bracket and combined with senior Jane Fennelly to win the doubles title. Meanwhile, freshman Zoe Spence and sophomore Rachel Chong won the consolation doubles title.
Rankings Review
Three Irish veterans appear in the preseason Oracle/ITA singles rankings: No. 63 Monica Robinson, No. 78 Allison Miller and No. 112 Brooke Broda. Robinson and Broda also appear at No. 48 in the singles rankings. Broda is 4-1 in singles, while Robinson is 4-2 and Miller 2-3. Broda and Robinson are 6-2 in doubles.
— ND —
Joanne Norell, athletics communications assistant director at the University of Notre Dame, has been part of the Fighting Irish athletics communications team since 2014 and coordinates communications efforts for the Notre Dame women’s soccer, men’s tennis, women’s tennis and fencing programs. Norell is a 2011 graduate of Purdue University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in mass communication, and earned her master’s degree in sports industry management from Georgetown University in 2013.