College Tennis News - No. 16 Irish Claim 6-1 Conference Win At Marquette

MILWAUKEE – The University of Notre Dame women’s tennis team earned a 6-1 BIG EAST Conference victory Tuesday over Marquette at the Helfaer Tennis Stadium.

The No. 16 Irish (12-7) improved to 2-0 in conference matches this season after defeating Marquette (10-10) for the 13th consecutive time, dating back to the 1988-89 campaign.

Notre Dame swept all decisions on the three doubles courts. No. 76 Jennifer Kellner and Chrissie McGaffigan downed Ali Dawson and Aina Hernandez Soler 8-4 at the first court. The 52nd ranked duo of Britney Sanders and Julie Sabacinski claimed an 8-3 win over Marquette’s Erin Gebes and Ana Pimienta at No. 2 doubles, and Quinn Gleason and Julie Vrabel completed the sweep with an 8-4 win against Rocio Diaz and Aleeza Kanner at the third court.

Sanders gave the Irish a 2-0 lead at first singles, taking a straight set victory over Pimienta. The No. 49 player in the country snapped a two-match losing streak with a 6-3, 6-0 win.

Kellner was the next Notre Dame player to finish during the singles portion, needing the minimum two sets to defeat Aina Hernandez Soler 6-2, 6-3 at the No. 3 court to extend the Irish team lead to 3-0.

In her first career start at the No. 2 singles court, Gleason won her team-best 15th match of the season in two sets over Gebes. The Notre Dame freshman swept her Marquette counterpart 7-2, 7-6 (7-4) to clinch the match for the Irish.

McGaffigan became the fourth player in the lineup to win in straight sets at fourth singles, sweeping Diaz 6-2, 6-2 for her 13th individual victory of 2013.

Molly O'Koniewski opened with a 6-3 first set against Dawson at the No. 5 court, but the Golden Eagle sophomore squared the match with a 7-6 (7-4) triumph in the second frame. O’Koniewski claimed the super set 10-6 for the final Notre Dame point of the day (6-0).

The Irish host Memphis Sunday at 1 p.m. in the final home match of the regular season.

No. 16 Notre Dame 6, Marquette 1
Helfaer Tennis Stadium
Milwaukee, Wis.

Singles
1. No. 49 Britney Sanders (ND) def. Ana Pimienta (MU) 6-3, 6-0
2. Quinn Gleason (ND), def. Erin Gebes (MU) 6-2, 7-6 (4)
3. Jennifer Kellner (ND) def. Aina Hernandez Soler (MU) 6-2, 6-3
4. Chrissie McGaffigan (ND) def. Rocio Diaz (MU), 6-2, 6-2
5. Molly O'Koniewski (ND) def. Ali Dawson (MU), 6-3, 6-7 (4), 10-6
6. Laia Hernandez Soler (MU) def. Julie Sabacinski (ND), 2-6, 6-2, 11-9

Doubles
1. No. 76 Kellner/McGaffigan (ND) def. Dawson/A. Hernandez Soler (MU) 8-4
2. No. 52 Sabacinski/Sanders (ND) def. Gebes/Pimienta (MU), 8-3
3. Gleason/Julie Vrabel (ND) def. Diaz/Aleeza Kanner (MU), 8-4