SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Notre Dame women’s tennis swept this weekend’s seasoning-opening homestand, knocking off Ball State, Illinois and DePaul en route to starting the 2025 campaign 3-0.
The Irish opened up the dual season against Ball State yesterday afternoon at the Eck Tennis Pavilion. After back and forth action in doubles, the duo of Carrie Beckman/Akar Matsuno took over No. 1 doubles, knocking off Sarah Shahbaz/Isabel Tanjuatco 6-3 before Bianca Molnar/Bojana Pozder clinched the opening point with a 6-3 win themselves at No. 3 doubles over Chloe Brown/Alana Bristow.
In singles play, the Irish used straight set wins from 67th-ranked Matsuno at No. 3 singles, Rylie Hanford at No. 5 singles and Kate Bellia at No. 6 doubles to shutout the Cardinals 4-0 in the season opener.
Notre Dame 4, Ball State 0
Singles:
- Bojana Pozder (ND) vs. Annika Planinsek (BSU) 7-5, 5-2, unfinished
- Carrie Beckman (ND) vs. Elen Malykh (BSU) 4-6, 6-1, unfinished
- #67 Akari Matsuno (ND) def. Jemima Williams-Phil (BSU) 6-0, 6-1
- Bianca Molnar (ND) vs. Sarah Shahbaz (BSU) 7-6, 2-1, unfinished
- Rylie Hanford (ND) def. Chloe Brown (BSU) 6-3, 7-5
- Kate Bellia (ND) def. Isabel Tanjuatco (BSU) 6-2, 6-3
Order of finish: (3,6,5)
Doubles:
- Carrie Beckman/Akari Matsuno (ND) def. Sarah Shahbaz/Isabel Tanjuatco (BSU) 6-3
- Nibi Ghosh/Rylie Hanford (ND) vs. Annika Planinsek/Jemima Williams-Phil (BSU) 4-4, unfinished
- Bianca Molnar/Bojana Pozder (ND) def. Chloe Brown/Alana Bristow (BSU) 6-3
Order of finish: (1,3)
In the morning match against Illinois, the Irish would quickly fall into a 1-0 deficit after the Illini took doubles wins at both No. 2 and No. 3 doubles.
But Notre Dame battled back. Matsuno took care of business at No. 3 singles, beating Ariel Madatali 6-1, 6-3 to even the match at one apiece and earn her fifth win of the spring.
Hanford’s 6-1, 6-3 win over Alive Xu at No. 6 singles gave the Irish a 2-1 lead before Nibi Ghosh notched a 6-3, 6-2 victory at No. 4 singles to put Notre Dame one point away from a clinch.
After an Illinois win at No. 5 singles, Pozder clinched the match for the Irish, winning 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 at No. 1 singles over #109 McKenna Shaefbauer to give the Irish a 4-2 win.
Notre Dame 4, Illinois 2
Singles:
- Bojana Pozder (ND) def. #109 McKenna Schaefbauer (ILL) 6-3, 3-6, 6-2
- Carrie Beckman (ND) vs. Megan Heuser (ILL) 7-5, 3-6, 4-1, unfinished
- #67 Akari Matsuno (ND) def. Ariel Madatali (ILL) 6-0, 6-2
- Nibi Ghosh (ND) def. Kasia Treiber (ILL) 6-3, 6-2
- Kida Ferrari (ILL) def. Bianca Molnar (ND) 7-6 (7-5), 6-4
- Rylie Hanford (ND) def. Alive Xu (ILL) 6-1, 6-3
Order of finish: (3,6,4,5,1)
Doubles:
- Carrie Beckman/Akari Matsuno (ND) vs. Megan Heuser/Kida Ferrari (ILL) 5-5, unfinished
- McKenna Schaefbauer/Kasia Treiber (ILL) def. Rylie Hanford/Nibi Ghosh (ND) 6-2
- Violeta Martinez/Alive Xu (ILL) def. Bianca Molnar/Bojana Pozder (ND) 6-3
Order of finish: (2,3)
Notre Dame would coast in the final match of the weekend homestand, shutting out DePaul 4-0 Saturday evening.
Maria Castedo/Podzer got it started at No. 3 doubles with a 6-1 win moments before Ghosh/Hanford’s 6-1 win of their own at No. 2 doubles clinched the opening point for the Irish.
It was straight sets from there on. Kate Bellia put up an individual shutout of her own, winning 6-0, 6-0 at No. 6 singles for the second Notre Dame point. Hanford would follow up with her third singles win of the weekend at No. 5 singles, winning 6-3, 6-1 in straight sets.
Podzer, for the second consecutive match, clinched the match for Notre Dame, taking No. 1 singles 6-0, 6-4 for her fifth win of the spring and give the Irish a three match winning streak to start the 2025 season.
Notre Dame 4, DePaul 0
Singles:
- Bojana Pozder (ND) def. Hannah Smith (DPU) 6-0, 6-4
- #67 Akari Matsuno (ND) vs. Eleanor Nobbs (DPU) 1-6, 4-3, unfinished
- Carrie Beckman (ND) vs. Sasha Stula (DPU) 7-6, 1-2, unfinished
- Bianca Molnar (ND) vs. Eva Goncharov (DPU) 6-2, 2-5, unfinished
- Rylie Hanford (ND) def. Isabella Gibson (DPU) 6-3, 6-1
- Kate Bellia (ND) def. Eleanor Cochran (DPU) 6-0, 6-0
Order of Finish: (6,5,1)
Doubles:
- Carrie Beckman/Akari Matsuno (ND) vs. Hannah Smith/Eva Goncharov (DPU) 5-1, unfinished
- Nibi Ghosh/Rylie Hanford (ND) def. Roberta Sechi/Eleanor Nobbs (DPU) 6-1
- Maria Olivia Castedo/Bojana Pozder (ND) def. Eleanor Cochran/Sasha Stula (DPU) 6-1
Order of Finish: (3,2)
Up Next:
The Irish will look to continue the winning ways next Saturday, January 25th, when Notre Dame hosts Western Michigan at 11 AM and Butler at 3 PM inside the Eck Tennis Pavilion. Admission to all Irish tennis matches are free.