Feb. 4, 2007

MADISON, Wisc. – The No. 4 Notre Dame women’s tennis team moved into the ITA National Team Indoor Championship finals with a 4-3 victory over No. 8 Northwestern on Saturday night at Nielsen Stadium. The Irish improved to 5-0 on the season and will face Georgia Tech tomorrow morning for the title.

Junior Brook Buck, playing her first dual singles match of 2007, moved the Irish into the finals with her straight-set victory, 7-6, 7-6, over Nazlie Ghazal at No. 6.

The Irish grabbed a 1-0 lead after taking the doubles point. Notre Dame took the matches at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles. The freshman duo of Cosmina Ciobanu (Brea, CA) and Kali Krisik (Arkansas City, KS) improved to 10-2 on the season and 4-1 in dual action with their 8-5 victory over Robison and Nazlie Ghazal.

The fifth-ranked tandem of Buck and sophomore Kelcy Tefft (Enid, OK) clinched the doubles point with their 9-7 victory over Samantha Murray and Lauren Lui at No. 2. Buck and Tefft upped their record to 13-3 overall and 5-0 in dual action.

Catrina Thompson and Christian Thompson ranked #11 in the most recent ITA poll, trailed Alexis Prousis and Georgia Rose at No. 1 doubles, 7-6, when Buck and Tefft clinched the doubles point.

Ciobanu pushed the Irish lead to 2-0 with her straight-set victory over Suzie Matzenauer, 6-1, 6-1. Ciobanu now leads the Irish with 15 victories (15-4) and remains undefeated in dual action (5-0). All of Ciobanu’s 15 victories have come in straight sets.

After Northwestern narrowed the Notre Dame lead to 2-1 following Prousis’ victory over Christian Thompson at No. 3, Tefft pushed the Irish advantage to 3-1. She had little trouble with Lui, winning in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3. Tefft upped her record to 9-4 overall and 4-1 in dual action.

The Wildcats drew within a point, 3-2, following Rose’s straight set victory over Catrina Thompson at No. 1 singles (6-2, 6-4).

Northwestern tied the match, 3-3, when Murray outlasted freshman Colleen Rielley (Overland Park, KS) at No. 2 singles, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. Rielley, who provided the clinching victory in yesterday’s 5-2 win over #10 Baylor, dropped to 13-5 overall and 2-3 in dual action.

Notre Dame will face Georgia Tech, who upset top-ranked Stanford, in the final tomorrow at 11 a.m.

— ND —