Feb. 21, 2010
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The 17th-ranked Irish women’s tennis team recorded the biggest win in program history Sunday with a 5-2 victory over No. 1 Northwestern at the Eck Tennis Pavilion. It was the first time Notre Dame had ever beaten the country’s top-ranked team, and the first time since 2007 that the Irish had taken down the Wildcats.
Notre Dame handed Northwestern its first loss of the season, dropping the Wildcats to 8-1, while the Irish improved to 7-1.
The Irish took a 1-0 lead after winning sweeping all three doubles matches. The eighth-ranked Irish duo of Kristy Frilling and Kali Krisik jumped out to a 5-0 lead before battling to an 8-5 win over No. 14 Lauren Lui and Elena Chernyakova at No. 1 doubles. The Irish tandem is now 8-0 on the season, including three wins over top-15 teams. Shannon Mathews and Chrissie McGaffigan topped Samantha Murray and Brittany Wowchuk, 8-4, at No. 2 doubles to clinch the point for the Irish. Cosmina Ciobanu and Colleen Rielley toppled Stacey Lee and Maria Mosolova, 8-7, at No. 3 doubles to complete the sweep.
No. 23 Frilling improved her dual-match record to 8-0 when she knocked off the 12th-ranked Mosolova , 6-1, 6-2, at No.1 singles to give the Irish a 2-0 lead. Five of Frilling’s eight opponents have been ranked in the top 100 this season.
Mathews put the Irish ahead 3-0 as she upset No. 29 Murray, 6-2, 6-3, at second singles. At No. 3 singles, McGaffigan battled to a 6-3 win in the first set, before jumping out to a 5-0 lead in set two. No. 108 Kate Turvy managed to take the next two points, but McGaffigan powered through for a 6-2 win, clinching the win for Notre Dame.
Chernyakova gave the Wildcats their first point of the day with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Kristen Rafael at No. 6 singles. Krisik saw her seven-match win streak come to an end Sunday with a 6-3, 7-5 loss to Lui at fourth singles. Ciobanu added the Notre Dame’s fifth point of the match with a 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 win over Wowchuk at No. 5 singles.
The Irish will have little time to relish the victory as they host Ohio State Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.
#17 Notre Dame 5, #1 Northwestern 2
Singles
1. #23 Kristy Frilling (ND) def. # 12 Maria Mosolova (NU) 6-1, 6-2
2. Shannon Mathews (ND) def. #29 Samantha Murray (NU) 6-2, 6-3
3. Chrissie McGaffigan (ND) def. #108 Kate Turvy (NU) 6-3, 6-2
4. Lauren Lui (NU) def. #114 Kali Krisik (ND) 6-3, 7-5
5. Cosmina Ciobanu (ND) def. Brittany Wowchuck (NU) 6-4, 2-6, 6-2
6. Elena Chernyakova (NU) def. Kristen Rafael (ND) 6-4, 6-3
Order of finish: 1,2,3,6,4,5
Doubles
1. #8 Frilling/Krisik (ND) def. #14 Lui/Chernyakova (NU) 8-5
2. Mathews/McGaffigan (ND) def. Murray/Wowchuk (NU) 8-4
3. Ciobanu/Rielley (ND) def. Lee/Mosolova (NU) 8-7
Order of finish: 1,2,3
–ND–