Jan. 22, 2016
By Joanne Norell
Champaign, Ill. – The University of Notre Dame men’s tennis team dropped its first match of the season Friday, falling in the first round of the ITA Kick-Off Weekend to host No. 7 Illinois 4-0 at the Atkins Tennis Center.
Notre Dame will play No. 24 Tulsa at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday for third place. The Golden Hurricane fell to No. 25 Northwestern in Friday’s first match, 4-1.
The doubles point came down to the final decision as the Irish and Illini split the first two decision on Courts 1 and 3. Illinois seized the early advantage as Julian Childers and Brian Page defeated freshman Grayson Broadus and senior Eric Schnurrenberger 6-3 at the No. 3 slot, but the Irish even things at the No. 1 spot with sixth-ranked senior duo Alex Lawson and Quentin Monaghan breaking Jared Hiltzik and Alex Jesse on match point to win 7-5. A close match ensued on Court 2, but juniors Eddy Covalschi and Josh Hagar eventually lost a close 6-4 decision to Aron Hiltzik and Aleks Vukic.
The Illini went on to take the next three matches at the top of the singles lineup, with No. 21 Jared Hiltzik taking a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Covalschi on Court 2, followed by Vukic’s 6-3, 6-4 win over No. 37 Monaghan on Court 1. No. T-41 Aron Hiltzik sealed the victory for the Illini with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Lawson at No. 3.
No. 7 Illinois 4, No. 36 Notre Dame 0
SINGLES
1. Aleks Vukic (ILL) def. No. 37 Quentin Monaghan (ND) 6-3, 6-4
2. No. 21 Jared Hiltzik (ILL) def. Eddy Covalschi (ND) 6-0, 6-2
3. No. T-41 Aron Hiltzik (ILL) def. Alex Lawson (ND) 6-4, 6-2
4. Josh Hagar (ND) vs. No. 67 Julian Childers (ILL), 2-6, 3-4 unfinished
5. Grayson Broadus (ND) vs. Alex Jesse (ILL) 6-6(5-6) unfinished
6. Nicolas Montoya (ND) vs. Asher Hirsh (ILL) 1-6, 3-5 unfinished
DOUBLES
1. No. 6 Alex Lawson / Quentin Monaghan (ND) def. Jared Hiltzik / Alex Jesse (ILL) 7-5
2. Aron Hiltzik / Aleks Vukic (ILL) def. Eddy Covalschi / Josh Hagar (ND) 6-4
3. Julian Childers / Brian Page (ILL) def. Grayson Broadus / Eric Schnurrenberger (ND) 6-3
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Joanne Norell, athletics communications assistant at the University of Notre Dame, has been part of the Fighting Irish athletics communications team since 2014 and coordinates communications efforts for the Notre Dame women’s soccer, men’s tennis, women’s tennis and fencing programs. Norell is a 2011 graduate of Purdue University and earned her master’s degree from Georgetown University in 2013.