Michigan Sees Home Win Streak Ended by No. 15 Irish

Wednesday, February 15

Ann Arbor, Mich.

4:00 PM

Michigan

Notre Dame

2/15/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 30 University of Michigan women's tennis team had its six-match home winning streak snapped by No. 15 Notre Dame on Wednesday (Feb. 15), dropping a 6-1 decision at the Varsity Tennis Center. The Wolverines (2-3), which won their last five home dual meets of 2004-05 and their first this season, last lost at home almost a year ago, Feb. 26, 2005, against Kentucky.

Michigans No. 3 pairing of senior Nina Yaftali (Westlake Village, Calif./Westlake HS) and freshman Lindsey Howard (Richmond, Va./Mills E. Godwin HS) was unable to snap a two-match losing skid, as the No. 45-ranked team of Lauren Connelly and Kristina Stastny earned an 8-3 victory to give the Irish the early momentum in doubles. Notre Dames Catrina and Christian Thompson, the No. 1 ranked doubles team in the nation, sent junior Kara Delicata (LaSalle, Ontario/Sandwich Secondary School) and freshman Allie Shafner (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) to their fifth straight defeat with an identical 8-3 win at No. 1 to give the Irish the first team point.

Senior Debra Streifler (Highland Park, Ill./Highland Park HS) and freshman Chisako Sugiyama (Parsippany, N.J./The Montclair Kimberley Academy) fell short in their comeback attempt at No. 2, with the No. 35-ranked tandem of Brook Buck and Kelcy Tefft coming out on top by an 8-6 margin to secure a doubles sweep for Notre Dame. It was just Streifler and Sugiyamas second loss in eight matches in 2005-06.

The Irish took a commanding 3-0 lead in the match with a pair of straight-set victories at Nos. 3 and 1 singles, respectively. Sugiyama suffered her second loss in five dual matches this season, dropping a 6-1, 6-0 decision to Buck at No. 3. Notre Dame then moved within one match of claiming the team win after No. 24-ranked Catrina Thompson handed Delicata a 6-2, 6-1 defeat at No. 1.

Katie Potts provided the decisive victory for the Irish, defeating Shafner by a 6-0, 6-4 score at No. 6. Christian Thompson, ranked 44th in the nation, spoiled No. 48-ranked Yaftalis bid at her first dual match win of 2006, earning a 6-4, 7-5 decision at No. 2 to give Notre Dame a 5-0 lead. Junior Elizabeth Exon (Irvine, Calif./Woodbridge HS) fell two points shy of giving Michigan its first team point, as she lost in a super-tiebreaker to Stastny, 6-1, 4-6, 1-0(5), at No. 5.

The 76th-ranked Streifler would be the one to give the Wolverines their first and only team point of the match, as she outlasted Tefft in a super-tiebreaker, 3-6, 7-6(4), 1-0(3), at No. 4. Streifler is saving her best tennis for Michigan's ranked opponents, as she also provided U-M with its only point against then No. 8-ranked Vanderbilt back on Jan. 29. With the comeback victory, Streifler improves her singles record to 9-6 overall and 3-2 in dual match play.

The Wolverines return to the Varsity Tennis Center on Sunday (Feb. 19) for a noon match with No. 22 Tennessee.

Following are match-by-match results:

Singles
No. 1 -- #24 Catrina Thompson (UND) d. Kara Delicata, 6-2, 6-1
No. 2 -- #44 Christian Thompson (UND) d. #48 Nina Yaftali, 6-4, 7-5
No. 3 -- Brook Buck (UND) d. Chisako Sugiyama, 6-1, 6-0
No. 4 -- #76 Debra Streifler (U-M) d. Kelcy Tefft, 3-6, 7-6(4), 1-0(3)
No. 5 -- Kristina Stastny (UND) d. Elizabeth Exon, 6-1, 4-6, 1-0(5)
No. 6 -- Katie Potts (UND) d. Allie Shafner, 6-0, 6-4

Doubles
No. 1 -- #1 Thompson/Thompson (UND) d. Delicata/Shafner, 8-3
No. 2 -- #35 Buck/Tefft (UND) d. Streifler/Sugiyama, 8-6
No. 3 -- #45 Lauren Connelly/Stastny (UND) d. Lindsey Howard/Yaftali, 8-3