NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Catherine Newman picked up her second consecutive singles win over a ranked opponent but it wasn’t enough to top the nation’s second-ranked team as Vanderbilt fell 5-2 to the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame at the Eck Tennis Pavilion Friday. With the loss the ‘Dores fall to 5-4 while Notre Dame improves to 15-2.
Newman, a junior from Greensboro, N.C., defeated No. 33 Kelcy Tefft in a tight two-set match for her second win over a ranked opponent in three days. Newman improves 16-10 overall and 4-5 in dual play. The win over Tefft gives Newman her sixth win over a ranked opponent this season.
Freshman Jackie Wu joined Newman with her second win in three days as she topped Notre Dame’s Kristen Rafael in three sets, 6-2, 2-6, 6-1. With the win Wu pushes her singles mark to 20-7 overall and 5-3 in dual play.
The Commodores (5-4, 1-2) fell behind early 1-0 after losing all three doubles matches to the Irish. Vanderbilt’s number one pair of Heather Steinbauer and Wu battled back-and-forth with the nation’s third-ranked doubles tandem of Kristy Frilling and Teftt before falling 8-6.
Vanderbilt will return to Nashville next week as they play host to No. 6 Georgia Tech Wednesday, March 25. The match with the Yellow Jackets will get underway starting with doubles play at 2:30 p.m. CT.
No. 2 Notre Dame 5, No. 29 Vanderbilt 2
Singles
1. No. 61 Catherine Newman (VU) def. No. 33 Kelcy Tefft (ND) 7-5, 7-6
2. No. 49 Kristy Frilling (ND) def. No. 112 Keilly Ulery (VU) 6-2, 5-7, 6-3
3. No. 64 Jackie Wu (VU) def. Kristen Rafael (ND) 6-2, 2-6, 6-1
4. Cosmina Ciobanu (ND) def. Chelsea Preeg (VU) 7-5, 6-2
5. Shannon Mathews (ND) def. Heather Steinbauer (VU) 7-5, 6-1
6. Kali Krisik (ND) def. Courtney Ulery (VU) 7-5, 6-2
Order of Finish: (5, 6, 4, 2, 3, 1)
Doubles
1. No. 3 Frilling / Tefft (ND) def. Steinbauer / Wu (VU) 8-6
2. Ciobanu / Krisik (ND) def. Newman / Preeg (VU) 8-5
3. Mathews / Rielley (ND) def. C. Ulery / K. Ulery (VU) 8-5
Order of Finish: (2, 3, 1)
