Feb. 3, 2017
Box Score 
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By Joanne Norell
PITTSBURGH, Pa. — The University of Notre Dame women’s tennis team dropped its first decision of the season, falling 6-1 to No. 13 Michigan on Friday at the Eck Tennis Pavilion.
How It Happened
The Wolverines snared the doubles point on the strength of their two ranked squads, as No. 4 Kate Fahey and Alex Najarian defeated senior Monica Robinson and junior Brooke Broda 6-1 on Court 1 and No. 29 Mira Ruder-Hook and Brienne Minor defeated senior Mary Closs and junior Allison Miller 6-2 on Court 2.
Michigan went up 2-0 with a singles win at the No. 3 slot as Irish freshman Bess Waldram fell to 60th-ranked Najarian 6-2, 6-2. A few minutes later, they padded their lead as the 80th-ranked Minor defeated 92nd-ranked Broda 6-2, 6-3 at the No. 1 spot. The Wolverines clinched the match when the 20th-ranked Fahey upended Miller 6-2, 7-6(1) at the No. 2 spot.
Next, Michigan’s Valeria Patiuk defeated sophomore Rachel Chong in three sets, 1-6, 6-1, 6-2 to put the Wolverines up 5-1.
Irish freshman Zoe Spence provided a bright spot at the No. 4 singles spot, defeating No. 78 Chiara Lommer 7-5, 6-3, coming back from down 2-5 in the first set to take a commanding win. Spence improved to 4-0 on the season.
Michigan got the final win, however, as senior Jane Fennelly fell to Ruder-Hook 1-6, 6-1, 6-2.
Up Next
The Irish will get more than a week of rest before they travel to Champaign, Illinois, to face the Illini at 11 a.m. ET on Sunday, February 12.
Scoreboard
No. 13 Michigan 6, Notre Dame 1
January 29, 2017
Eck Tennis Pavilion
Singles
1. No. 80 Brienne Minor (UM) def. No. 92 Brooke Broda (ND) 6-2, 6-3
2. No. 20 Kate Fahey (UM) def. Allison Miller (ND) 6-1, 7-6(1)
3. No. 60 Alex Najarian (UM) def. Bess Waldram (ND) 6-2, 6-2
4. Zoe Spence (ND) def. No. 78 Chiara Lommer (UM) 7-5, 6-3
5. Mira Ruder-Hook (UM) def. Jane Fennelly (ND) 1-6, 6-1, 6-2
6. Valeria Patiuk (UM) def. Rachel Chong (ND) 1-6, 6-1, 6-2
Doubles
1. No. 4 Kate Fahey / Alex Najarian (UM) def. Brooke Broda / Monica Robinson (ND) 6-1
2. No. 29 Mira Ruder-Hook / Brienne Minor (UM) def. Mary Closs / Allison Miller (ND) 6-2
3. Jane Fennelly / Bess Waldram (ND) vs. Valeria Patiuk / Kara Hall (UM) 4-4, unfinished
— 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.