Michigan
Notre Dame
Michigan's Comeback Falls Short Against Notre Dame
2/6/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Site: South Bend, Ind. (Eck Tennis Pavilion)
Score: #14 Notre Dame 4, #18 Michigan 3
Records: U-M (3-2),UND(4-0)
Next U-M Match: Sunday, Feb.8 --vs. Yale(Varsity Tennis Center), 11 a.m.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The No. 18-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team fell just short in its comeback attempt against No. 14 Notre Dame on Friday afternoon (Feb. 6), falling 4-3 to the Fighting Irish at the Eck Tennis Pavilion. The Wolverines (3-2) trailed 3-1 but still had a great chance at the win with all three of the remaining singles matches in a third set, but Notre Dame (4-0)came out on top at No. 4 to escape with the victory.
The Irish posted a pair of convincing wins at Nos. 1 and 3 doubles to claim the first team point. The sophomore duo of Whitney Taney(Edina, Minn./Edina HS) and Rika Tatsuno(Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula HS) prevented the overall doubles sweep with a solid 8-5 triumph over Cosmina Ciobanu and Kali Krisik at No. 2. The U-M tandemhas dropped just one of its four dual matches this season.
Notre Dame opened singles play with straight-set victories at Nos. 6 and 1, respectively, to jump out to a 3-0 advantage. Tatsuno kept Michigan in contention with an impressive 6-4, 6-4 upset win over39th-ranked Kristy Frilling at No. 2, moving her overall singles record to a team-best 12-5.
UND's 62nd-ranked Kristen Rafael ended any hopes of a Wolverine comeback, however, as her 6-7(6), 6-2, 6-1 triumph over junior Tania Mahtani(Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula HS) clinched the team victory for the Irish.
Michigan closed out the match in winning form, with Taney and sophomore Denise Muresan(Lincolnshire, Ill./Adlai E. Stevenson HS) claiming three-setvictories at Nos. 3 and 5, respectively. Taney got off to a slow start against 46th-ranked Krisik but stayed composed and pulled out a 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(3) triumph, marking her second win over a nationally-ranked opponent in three matches. Muresan capped off the match with a quality 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 decision over Ciobanu to end a two-match losing skid.
The Wolverines will return home to the Varsity Tennis Center to host Yale on Sunday (Feb. 8) at 11 a.m.
Following are match-by-match results:
Singles
No. 1 -- #45 Kelcy Tefft (UND) d. Chisako Sugiyama, 6-1, 6-2
No. 2 -- Rika Tatsuno (U-M) d. #39 Kristy Frilling, 6-4, 6-4
No. 3 -- Whitney Taney (U-M) d. #46 Kali Krisik, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(3)
No. 4 -- #62 Kristen Rafael (UND) d. Tania Mahtani, 6-7(6), 6-2, 6-1
No. 5 --Denise Muresan (U-M) d. Cosmina Ciobanu, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2
No. 6 -- Shannon Mathews (UND) d. Michelle Sulahian, 6-0, 6-1
Doubles
No. 1 -- #1 Frilling/Tefft (UND) d. #51 Mahtani/Sugiyama, 8-1
No. 2 -- Taney/Tatsuno (U-M) d. Ciobanu/Krisik, 8-5
No. 3 -- Mathews/Colleen Rielley (UND) d. Howard/Muresan, 8-2
Order of Completion: Doubles 1-3-2, Singles 6-1-2-4-3-5
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 645-0045
Players Mentioned
