Sept. 24, 2005
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Three seniors on the University of Notre Dame women’s tennis team combined to go 4-1 on the second day of the Maryland Invitational Saturday at the Tennis Center at College Park. Highlighting the day was Kristina Stastny (St. Louis, Mo./St. Joseph’s Academy) winning the consolation title in the “A” flight, plus she and team captain Lauren Connelly (Oklahoma City, Okla./Bishop McGuinness H.S.) upsetting a nationally-ranked team in doubles.
Connelly and Stastny – who are making their collegiate debut as a doubles team this weekend – notched an 8-4 victory in consolation play over Lauren Seaman and Tiffany Tucker of Louisiana State, the 60th-ranked doubles team in the nation. The Irish duo will play in the consolation championship of the “A” flight on Sunday, taking on the Duke team of Lauren Archer and Parker Goyer. Connelly and Stastny both earned their fifth career doubles victories over ranked teams. It was the first for Stastny in more than two years, since she and Katie Cunha beat #19 Iva Gersic and Kendra Strohm of Texas on March 1, 2003. The win improved Connelly’s career record in doubles to 72-30 (.706), which moved her into 18th on the Irish all-time doubles victories list.
Stastny already has a consolation crown to her credit after notching a pair of victories on Saturday. She first beat Seaman – who played No. 2 for LSU last spring – 6-1, 6-1 and then took down Jessi Robinson of Duke by the same scores in the title match.
Notre Dame’s third participant, Kelly Nelson (St. Petersburg, Fla./Shorecrest Preparatory School), also will go for a consolation title on Sunday. She rallied from losing the opening set to beat Tucker – who played No. 5 for LSU last season – 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the consolation semifinals of the “B” flight. The win was the first for Nelson in collegiate play since Nov. 9, 2003, against Illinois’ Emily Wang in the Midwest Blast. She had not seen action since that tournament prior to this weekend.
Maryland Invitational, Day Two (September 24)Singles - "A" FlightMykala Hedberg (LSU) d. Lauren Connelly (ND) 6-3, 6-1 - consolationKristina Stastny (ND) d. Lauren Seaman (LSU) 6-1, 6-1 - consolation semifinalsStastny (ND) d. Jessi Robinson (Duke) 6-1, 6-1 - consolation finalSingles - "B" FlightKelly Nelson (ND) d. Tiffany Tucker (LSU) 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 - consolation semifinalsDoubles - "A" FlightConnelly/Stastny (ND) d. #60 Lauren Seaman/Tiffany Tucker (LSU) 8-4 - consolation semifinals