Oct. 3, 2003
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Notre Dame women’s tennis team turned in a dominating performance on the first day of the Kentucky Fall Classic, winning 17 of 20 matches. Irish players were 14-2 in singles, with six of the eight participants in the tournament reaching the semifinals of their respective draws. Leading the way for the Irish was sophomore Lauren Connelly (Oklahoma City, Okla./Bishop McGuinness H.S.), who upset #65 Amy Wei of William & Mary in the quarterfinals of the blue flight.
Connelly won a pair of matches on Friday to improve to 4-1 this season. Her win over Wei continued a pattern of her being a dangerous foe for ranked players in fall action. Last season, she was 2-1 in the fall against ranked foes. Connelly opened the day with a win over Colleen Reynolds of Abilene Christian.
In other blue flight action, freshman Catrina Thompson (Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman H.S.) won twice, also improving to 4-1 and also advancing to the semifinals. She topped Jennifer Klaschka of Middle Tennessee State and Danielle Petrisko of the host school.
In the white flight, sophomore Kristina Stastny (St. Louis, Mo./St. Joseph’s Academy) and freshman Christian Thompson (Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman H.S.) each won a pair of matches Friday to reach the quarterfinals. Stastny registered three-set wins over Sonia Ruzimovsky of Ohio State and Emily Mowery of William & Mary. Thompson beat Summer Beesley of Abilene Christian and Brittany Reitz of Purdue.
Sophomore Kelly Nelson (St. Petersburg, Fla./Shorecrest Preparatory School) is in the semis of the green flight, while senior Emily Neighbours (Indianapolis, Ind./Park Tudor School) fell in the quarters after a three-set victory in the opening round against Krista Dunbar of William & Mary. Nelson, who has won four of five in singles this season, lost just eight games in four sets in beating Marshall’s Holly Asel and William & Mary’s Alex DeGuzman.
After a 6-0, 6-0 win to start, sophomore Liz Donohue (Sioux Falls, S.D./O’Gorman H.S.) won a three-setter against Lindsay Bryan of Ohio State to reach the red flight semifinals.
Notre Dame won three of four doubles matches on Friday. In the blue flight, Stastny and junior Sarah Jane Connelly (Oklahoma City, Okla./Bishop McGuinness H.S.) advanced when their opponents retired with the match on serve at 2-3.
In the white flight, Lauren Connelly and Neighbours were 8-1 winners over a Middle Tennessee team, while Donohue and Nelson won 8-5 in the green flight.
Three Irish players are not participating in the event. Senior Caylan Leslie (Newport Beach, Calif./Corona del Mar H.S.) and sophomore Jennifer Smith (Charlotte, N.C./South Mecklenburg H.S.) are both out with injuries, while senior Alicia Salas (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek H.S.) is saving a playing date in anticipation of her taking part in the qualifying of next week’s Riviera/ITA All-American Championships.
Kentucky Fall Classic — Day One
Singles
White Flight first round
Kristina Stastny (ND) d. Sonia Ruzimovsky (Ohio State) 4-6, 6-4, 6-0
Christian Thompson (ND) d. Summer Beesley (Abilene Christian) 6-2, 6-1
Sarah Foster (Kentucky) d. Sarah Jane Connelly (ND) 6-3, 6-1
White Flight quarterfinals
Stastny (ND) d. Emily Mowery (William & Mary) 6-0, 5-7, 6-0
Christian Thompson (ND) d. Brittany Reitz (Purdue) 7-5, 6-3
White Flight consolation
S.J. Connelly (ND) d. Danielle Hoch (Marshall) 7-6 (9-7), 6-2
Blue Flight first round
Catrina Thompson (ND) d. Jennifer Klaschka (Middle Tennessee) 7-6 (7-3), 6-3
Lauren Connelly (ND) d. Colleen Reynolds (Abilene Christian) 6-1, 6-2
Blue Flight quarterfinals
Catrina Thompson (ND) d. Danielle Petrisko (Kentucky) 6-2, 4-6, 6-1
L. Connelly (ND) d. #65 Amy Wei (William & Mary ) 6-1, 6-4
Green Flight first round
Kelly Nelson (ND) d. Holly Asel (Marshall) 6-2, 6-1
Emily Neighbours (ND) d. Krista Dunbar (William & Mary) 6-1, 3-6, 6-4
Green Flight quarterfinals
Nelson (ND) d. Alex DeGuzman (William & Mary) 6-4, 6-1
Lara Maurer (Kentucky) d. Neighbours (ND) 6-2, 6-2
Red Flight first round
Liz Donohue (ND) d. Olivia Hill (Marshall) 6-0, 6-0
Red Flight quarterfinals
Donohue (ND) d. Lindsay Bryan (Ohio State) 4-6, 6-1, 6-2
Doubles
Blue Flight first round
S.J. Connelly/Stastny (ND) d. Reitz/Hala Sufi (Purdue) 2-3, retired
Lille Nzudie/Alice Sukner (Marshall) d. Thompson/Thompson 9-8(7-5)
White Flight first round
L. Connelly/Neighbors (ND) d. Jennifer Klaschka/Jacqui Williams (Middle Tennessee) 8-1
Green Flight first round
Donohue/Nelson (ND) d. Asel/Meghan Skalsky (Marshall) 8-5