Jan. 31, 2004
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The 21st-ranked Notre Dame women’s tennis team posted straight-set wins in the top three singles positions in a 5-2 win over #48 Ohio State (0-2) in Saturday afternoon’s home opener. The Irish (1-1) swept the doubles portion and won four of six singles matches. Notre Dame will return to the courts on Sunday to face Wisconsin at 11 a.m. (EST) in the Eck Tennis Pavilion.
The Irish held a 3-1 lead, as freshman Catrina Thompson (Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman H.S) delivered the clinching win at No. 3 singles. Thompson upended OSU’s Jackie Leskovar in straight sets, 7-5, 6-4.
Senior co-captain Alicia Salas (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek H.S.) and freshman Christian Thompson (Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman H.S.) also posted straight-set wins in singles. 88th-ranked Christian Thompson improved to 13-6 on the season with a 6-2, 6-2 victroy over Erica Fisk at the No. 2 spot. Salas, ranked 14th nationally, posted a 7-6 (9-7), 6-0 win over Buckeye Lindsay Williams.
At the No. 4 position, sophomore Lauren Connelly (Oklahoma City, Okla./Bishop McGuinness H.S.) streched the Irish lead to 5-1, winning in three sets, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2, over Ohio State’s Lindsey Adams.
The Irish took the doubles point, coming out on top in all three matches. At the No. 3 position, junior Sarah Jane Connelly (Oklahoma City, Okla./Bishop McGuinness H.S.) and sophomore Kristina Stastny (St. Louis, Mo./St. Joseph’s Academy) were the first off the court, knocking off OSU’s Adams and Sonia Ruzimovsky by a score of 8-2.
Salas and Lauren Connelly secured the point with a 9-7 win over Meaghan Colville and Williams at No. 2. The Irish pair, ranked 39th nationally, improve to 8-2 this season and 25-11 in their career. At the No. 1 position, Catrina and Christain Thompson completed the doubles sweep with a 9-7 win over Fisk and Leskovar.
Ohio State’s only points came at the bottom two singles positions, as Emily DeCamilla beat Sarah Jane Connelly 6-4, 6-1 at No. 5 and Kristin Messmer edged out Stastny in a match tiebreaker in the No. 6 positon, 6-4, 3-6, 1-0 (10-7).
With today’s win the Irish have won 10 of their last 11 home openers and are 13-2 in home openers under head coach Jay Louderback.
Notre Dame 5, Ohio State 2
Singles
No. 1: #14 Alicia Salas (ND) d. Lindsay Williams (OSU) 7-6 (9-7), 6-0
No. 2: #88 Christian Thompson (ND) d. Erica Fisk (OSU) 6-2, 6-2
No. 3: *Catrina Thompson (ND) d. Jackie Leskovar (OSU) 7-5, 6-4
No. 4: Lauren Connelly (ND) d. Lindsey Adams (OSU) 6-3, 2-6, 6-2
No. 5: Emily DeCamilla d. Sarah Jane Connelly (ND) 6-4, 6-1
No. 6: Kristin Messmer d. Kristina Stastny (ND) 6-4, 3-6, 1-0 (10-7)
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 5, 3*, 4, 6
Doubles
No. 1: Thompson/Thompson (ND) d. Fisk/Leskovar (OSU) 9-7
No. 2: *#39 L. Connelly/Salas (ND) d. Meaghan Colville/Williams (OSU) 9-7
No. 3: S.J. Connelly/Stastny (ND) d. Adams/ Sonia Ruzimovsky (OSU) 8-2
Order of Finish: 3, 2*, 1
* denotes clinching match
— ND —