March 4, 2011
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The 14th-ranked University of Notre Dame earned its fifth straight victory of the dual season after defeating Indiana, 6-1, Friday at the Varsity Tennis Center. The win moves the Irish to 8-4 this season and also makes nine straight wins over the Hoosiers in head-to-head matchups.
Indiana looked to stake claim to the doubles point, capturing the first of three matches contested. JoHanna Manningham (Mishawaka, Ind.) and Chrissie McGaffigan (Davenport, Iowa), paired for the first time on the season, fell to Sophie Garre and Diana Kyllmann at No. 3 doubles, 8-4.
However, the Irish battled back to win the remaining two doubles matches and snatch the point from the Hoosiers. Shannon Mathews (Birmingham, Mich.) and Kristy Frilling (Sidney, Ohio), now ranked 26th as a tandem, kept their recent hot streak intact, defeating Leslie Hureau and Myriam Sopel at No. 1 doubles, 8-5. The win is the sixth in a row for the Irish pairing.
Jennifer Kellner (Smithtown, N.Y.) and Julie Sabacinski, playing at No. 2 doubles for the second time on the season, improved to 2-0 at that position after winning over Kayla Fujimoto and Evgenia Vertesheva, 8-6.
The Hoosiers rebounded early in singles to even the match at 1-1, as Manningham struggled to find her rhythm against Garre at No. 6 singles, surrendering a 6-2, 6-1 decision.
Frilling, ranked third nationally, and Mathews, ranked 32nd, continued their torrid dual season, winning their 11th consecutive matches at No. 1 and 2 singles, respectively. Mathews finished her match first, defeating Vertesheva (6-3, 6-1), and was immediately followed by Frilling closing out 61st-ranked Hureau (6-2, 6-1) to move the Irish to match point.
Kellner then promptly clinched the match with a straight-sets win over Charlotte Martin at No. 3 singles, 6-2, 6-1. The match represented her first at the No. 3 position and with the victory her win streak now runs to seven consecutive matches.
Sabacinski pushed the score to 5-1 after closing out a three-set win over Sopel at No. 5 singles. With the match already clinched and a third set needed, the two players decided the point with a superset, which Sabacinski claimed to win 6-4, 4-6, 1-0 (10-8).
McGaffigan, returning to No. 4 singles for the match, concluded the contest with a 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 victory over Fujimoto. The win extends McGaffigan’s win streak to three matches and also ends her five-match skid at the No. 4 position.
Notre Dame now returns home for a matchup with seventh-ranked Baylor on Sunday at Noon (ET) at the Eck Tennis Center. Live stats as well as a live blog of the match will be provided through und.com.
Notre Dame vs. IndianaMar 4, 2011 at Bloomington, Ind.#14 Notre Dame 6, #41 Indiana 1
Singles Competition:1. #3 Kristy Frilling (ND) def. #61 Leslie Hureau (IU) 6-2, 6-12. #32 Shannon Mathews (ND) def. Evgeniya Vertesheva (IU) 6-3, 6-13. #112 Jennifer Kellner (ND) def. Charlotte Martin (IU) 6-2, 6-14. Chrissie McGaffigan (ND) def. Kayla Fujimoto (IU) 7-6 (8-6), 6-45. Julie Sabacinski (ND) def. Myriam Sopel (IU) 6-4, 4-6, 1-0 (10-8)6. Sophie Garre (IU) def. JoHanna Manningham (ND) 6-2, 6-1
Doubles Competition:1. #26 Shannon Mathews/Kristy Frilling (ND) def. Leslie Hureau/Myriam Sopel (IU) 8-52. Jennifer Kellner/Julie Sabacinski (ND) def. Kayla Fujimoto/Evgeniya Vertesheva (IU) 8-63. Sophie Garre/Diana Kyllmann (IU) def. JoHanna Manningham/Chrissie McGaffigan (ND) 8-4
Match Notes:Indiana 10-3; National ranking #41Notre Dame 8-4; National ranking #14Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (6,2,1,3,5,4)