April 16, 2010
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The fifth-ranked Fighting Irish women’s tennis team battled into the night, but pulled off a 6-1 win over No. 22 DePaul Friday at the Courtney Tennis Center.
With the win, the Irish improve to 18-3 on the season, while the Blue Demons fall to 15-4.
The Irish struck first, sweeping all three matches to claim the doubles point. Cosmina Ciobanu (Brea, Calif./Troy) and Shannon Mathews (Birmingham, Mich./Cranbrook-Kingswood) dispatched Katarina Milinkovic and Sandra Zmak, 8-1, at No. 2 doubles to earn their fifth win of the season. The third-ranked duo of Kristy Frilling (Sidney, Ohio/Lehman & Abeka) and Kali Krisik (Arkansas City, Kan./Arkansas City) won their 17th straight match at No. 1 doubles with an 8-3 victory over No. 16 Anna Redesci and Selma Salkovic that clinched the point for the Irish.
Chrissie McGaffigan (Davenport, Iowa/Bettendorf) and Kristen Rafael (Grand Prairie, Texas/Nolan Catholic) improved to 4-0 in dual action and topped Kirsten Gambrell and Gia McKnight, 8-2, at third doubles to complete the sweep.
Rafael put the Irish up 2-0 with her ninth win of the season, a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Gambrell at No. 6 singles. Krisik won her third straight match and 12th of the season with a 6-2, 6-2 besting of McKnight at fifth singles. Ciobanu improved to 18-3 on the season and clinched the win for the Irish with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Zmak at No. 4.
Redesci gave the Blue Demons their first point of the day with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-0 upset of No. 15 Frilling at No. 1 singles. No. 119 McGaffigan edged Milinkovic 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 to notch her 14th win of the season and increase the Irish lead to 5-1. Mathews recorded her 12th win of the season with a 2-6, 7-5, 6-2 victory over Salkovic at second singles to wrap up the match.
The Irish will honor the senior trio of Ciobanu, Krisik and Colleen Rielley as they wrap up the regular season at 10:00 a.m. Sunday against Marquette.
#5 ND 6, #22 DePaul 1
Singles
1. Anna Redesci (DU) def. #15 Kristy Frilling (ND) 7-5, 3-6, 6-0
2. Shannon Mathews (ND) def. Selma Salkovic (DU) 2-6, 7-5, 6-2
3. #119 Chrissie McGaffigan (ND) def. Katarina Milinkovic (DU) 4-6, 6-2, 6-1
4. Cosmina Ciobanu (ND) def. Sandra Zmak (DU) 6-2, 6-2
5. Kali Krisik (ND) def. Gia McKnight (DU) 6-2, 6-2
6. Kristen Rafael (ND) def. Kirsten Gambrell (DU) 6-0, 6-0
Order of Finish: 6,5,4,1,3,2
Doubles
1. #3 Frilling/Krisik (ND) def. #16 Redesci/Salkovic (DU) 8-3
2. Ciobanu/Mathews (ND) def. Milinkovic/Zmak (DU) 8-1
3. McGaffigan/Rafael (ND) def. Gambrell/McKnight (DU) 8-2
Order of Finish: 2,1,3
–ND–