Feb. 2, 2007
MADISON, Wisc. – The No. 4 Notre Dame women’s tennis team moved into the ITA National Team Indoor Championship semifinals with its 5-2 victory over #10 Baylor on Friday night at Nielsen Stadium. The Irish improved to 4-0 on the season and reach the tournament semifinals for the first time in school history.
Notre Dame won the doubles point and got victories at No. 2, No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5. Baylor recorded straight-set triumphs at No. 1 and No. 6 to provide the final margin.
Notre Dame captured the doubles point and took a 1-0 lead after sweeping all three matches. The freshmen duo of Cosmina Ciobanu (Brey, CA) and Kali Krisik (Arkansas City, KS) continued their impressive play this season. The No. 3 team dominated Zuzana Zemenova and Janka Bielikova, 8-2. Ciobanu and Krisik improved to 9-2 on the season and 3-1 in dual action.
The fifth-ranked team of junior Brook Buck (Yukon, OK) and sophomore Kelcy Tefft (Enid, OK) also cruised in their match at No. 2 against Jessica Zok and Chmelarova. Buck and Tefft improved to 12-3 overall and 4-0 in dual action with an 8-2 rout. The duo has won each of their last four matches.
Senior All-American twins Catrina Thompson (Las Vegas, NV) and Christian Thompson (Las Vegas, NV) also moved to 4-0 in dual action following their 8-6 victory over Lenka Broosova and Klara Zrustova. The Thompsons, ranked 11th in the most recent ITA poll, are now 12-3 overall.
After Baylor tied the match, 1-1, following Zemenova’s 6-4, 6-4 straight-set victory over Catrina Thompson at No. 1, Notre Dame took a 3-1 advantage thanks in part to victories by Christian Thompson at No. 3 and Ciobanu at No. 5.
Christian Thompson dropped her opening set to Broosova, 7-6, but rebounded and took the next two sets, 6-4, 6-0. Christian Thompson improves to 6-5 on the season and 3-1 in dual action. Ciobanu registered her fourth consecutive straight set victory. She upended Iva Mihaylova, 6-2, 6-4, to improve to 14-4 overall and 4-0 in dual action.
Freshman Colleen Rielley (Overland Park, KS) clinched the match for Notre Dame with a 6-4, 6-4 straight-set victory over Zok. Rielley snapped her two-match losing streak and improved to 13-4 overall and 2-2 in dual action.
With the match already decided, Tefft made it 5-1. She defeated Zrustova in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4. Tefft improves to 8-4 overall and 3-1 in dual action. Sophomore Katie Potts (Brookfield, WI) dropped her second straight match this weekend. She lost in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2, to Bielikova. She is now 9-6 overal and 2-2 in dual play.
— ND —