Michigan
Notre Dame
Wolverines Cruise Past Irish
2/3/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
» U-M won the doubles point with big wins at No. 1 and No. 2 before winning five-of-six singles matches in the 6-1 win.
» Kate Fahey and Brienne Minor each ran their singles record in dual matches to 3-0 at the top two spots in the lineup.
Site: South Bend, Ind. (Eck Tennis Pavilion)
Score: #13 Michigan 6, Notre Dame 1
Records: U-M (3-0), ND (3-1)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, Feb. 5 -- vs. Texas (Varsity Tennis Center), 10:30 a.m.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The No. 13-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team won the doubles point and five-of-six singles matches en route to a 6-1 win over Notre Dame on Friday afternoon (Feb. 3) at the Eck Tennis Pavilion.
Michigan breezed to the doubles point, giving up just three games at the top two spots. The No. 4-ranked doubles duo of junior Alex Najarian and sophomore Kate Fahey went up a break at 3-1 and never looked back at the No. 1 spot, taking a 6-1 win.
Michigan clinched the match's first point moments later when the No. 2 pair of sophomore Brienne Minor and junior Mira Ruder-Hook ripped off four straight games to win, 6-2.
The top of the lineup came through for the Wolverines, with Minor, Fahey and Najarian each winning in straight sets to put the match out of reach for the Irish.
Najarian jumped out early in both sets, winning 6-2, 6-2 at No. 3 for Michigan's second point of the afternoon.
It was much of the same for Minor at the top spot, as she won the first five games of the match en route to a 6-1 first-set win. In the second, Minor broke late and wrapped up the third Wolverine point with a 6-1, 6-3 victory.
Fahey provided the clincher for the Maize and Blue at No. 2 with a 6-1, 7-6 win. Fahey was up 5-3 in the second before Allison Miller was able to get back on serve at 5-5. It was all Fahey in the tiebreaker as the Wolverine gave up just one point in a 7-1 win for U-M's fourth point.
Freshman Valeria Patiuk won the first dual match of her career, rallying for a 1-6, 6-1, 6-2 win at No. 6 for the fifth point on the afternoon for the Wolverines.
Notre Dame got a point on the board at No. 4, but Ruder-Hook ended the day on a victorious note for the Wolverines. Like Patiuk, Ruder-Hook rallied from dropping the first set in a 1-6, 6-1, 6-2 win at No. 5.
The Maize and Blue returns to home action on Sunday (Feb. 5), hosting Texas at 10:30 a.m. The first 75 fans in attendance will receive a headband. Admission is free.
Following are match-by-match results
Singles
No. 1 -- No. 80 Brienne Minor (U-M) d. No. 92 Brooke Broda (ND), 6-1, 6-3
No. 2 -- No. 20 Kate Fahey (U-M) d. Allison Miller (ND), 6-1, 7-6
No. 3 -- No. 60 Alex Najarian (U-M) d. Bess Waldram (ND), 6-2, 6-2
No. 4 -- Zoe Spence (ND) d. No. 78 Chiara Lommer (U-M), 7-5, 6-3
No. 5 -- Mira Ruder-Hook (U-M) d. Jane Fennelly (ND), 1-6, 6-1, 6-2
No. 6 -- Valeria Patiuk (U-M) d. Rachel Chong (ND), 1-6, 6-1 6-2
Doubles
No. 1 -- No. 4 Kate Fahey/Alex Najarian (U-M) d. Brooke Broda/Monica Robinson (ND), 6-1
No. 2 -- No. 29 Mira Ruder-Hook/Brienne Minor (U-M) d. Mary Closs/Allison Miller (ND), 6-2
No. 3 -- Valeria Patiuk/Kara Hall (U-M) Jane Fennelly/Bess Waldram (ND), 4-4 abandoned
Order of Completion: Doubles 1-2, Singles 3-1-2-6-4-5
Communications Contact: Sarah VanMetre
Players Mentioned
