March 22, 2015
ATLANTA, Ga. — The No. 32 University of Notre Dame women’s tennis team fell in a close contest with Atlantic Coast Conference foe No. 57 Georgia Tech, 4-3 on Sunday at the Byers Tennis Complex in Atlanta.
The Irish and Yellow Jackets needed every match to determine the outcome, which was decided in a third set at No. 5 singles. Four singles matches went to third sets, with two tiebreakers needed between doubles and singles play.
Notre Dame took the doubles point despite falling at the top of the lineup. Georgia Tech’s 35th-ranked duo of Kendal Woodard and Paige Hourigan upset No. 21 Quinn Gleason and Monica Robinson 8-6 at the top spot, but the Irish put the point away at the other two slots. No. 55 Allison Miller and Julie Vrabel quickly dispatched Alexis Prokopuik and Natasha Prokhnevska 8-4, while Jane Fennelly and Mary Closs won in a tiebreaker on Court 3, defeating Johnnise Renaud and Rasheeda McAdoo 8-7(4).
The Irish and Yellow Jackets trade points the to start the singles matches. The Yellow Jackets got the point back quickly at No. 1 singles as No. 92 Renaud defeated Gleason 6-1, 6-2. Vrabel put the Irish back up with her win over Pokhnevska on Court 3, a 6-3, 6-2 victory. Woodard beat Closs at No. 4 in three sets, 7-5, 1-6, 7-5, but Robinson pushed the Irish ahead with her 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 win over No. 64 Hourigan at No. 2.
That left matches on Courts 5 and 6. Despite winning the first-set tiebreaker, Fennelly could not hold on against Alexa Anton-Ohlmeyer at the No. 6 slot, falling 6-7(1), 6-0, 6-0. Miller had forced a third-set at No. 5 and tied it at 5-5, but Prokopuik slipped past the Iirhs freshman for a 6-2, 3-6, 7-5 win.
The Irish will return home for matches next weekend against North Carolina State at 3 p.m. EDT on Friday and against Marquette at noon EDT on Sunday at the Eck Tennis Pavilion. For the latest on all Irish women’s tennis action, follow @NDWomensTennis on Twitter and like Notre Dame Women’s Tennis on Facebook.
No. 57 Georgia Tech 4, No. 32 Notre Dame 3
SINGLES
1. No. 92 Johnnise Renaud (GT) def. Quinn Gleason (ND) 6-1, 6-2
2. Monica Robinson (ND) def. No. 64 Paige Hourigan (GT), 6-3, 4-6, 6-1
3. Julie Vrabel (ND) def. Natasha Pokhnevska (GT), 6-3, 6-2
4. Kendal Woodard (GT) def. Mary Closs (ND), 7-5, 1-6, 7-5
5. Alexis Prokopuik (GT) def. Allison Miller (ND), 6-2, 3-6, 7-5
6. Alexa Anton-Ohlmeyer (GT) def. Jane Fennelly (ND), 6-7(1), 6-0, 6-0
DOUBLES
1. No. 35 Kendal Woodard / Paige Hourigan (GT) def. No. 21 Quinn Gleason / Monica Robinson (ND), 8-6
2. No. 55 Allison Miller / Julie Vrabel (ND) def. Alexis Prokopuik / Natasha Prokhnevska (GT), 8-4
3. Jane Fennelly / Mary Closs (ND) def. Johnnise Renaud / Rasheeda McAdoo (GT), 8-7(4)
Joanne Norell, Media Relations Assistant
–ND–