WRAL Sports Fan

WRALSportsFan

W TENNIS: Duke Knocks Off Notre Dame, 4-3

Feb 21, 2008

DURHAM, N.C. - The eighth-ranked Blue Devil women's tennis team defeated 15th-ranked Notre Dame, 4-3, on Thursday evening at Sheffield Indoor Tennis Center for its third victory over a top-25 team in four matches on the year.

Notre Dame started strong, as the Fighting Irish swept all three doubles matches to come away with the initial point.

Cosmina Ciobanu and Colleen Reilley combined for an 8-5 win over junior Jessi Robinson and sophomore Amanda Granson at No. 3 before Kali Krisik and Kristen Rafael posted an 8-6 win over the Blue Devil tandem of senior Tory Zawacki and junior Melissa Mang at No. 2 to clinch the point for Notre Dame.

At No. 1, the Duke duo of Reka Zsilinszka and Ellah Nze fell to Kelcy Tefft and Brook Buck by a score of 8-6.

Singles action saw Mang quickly tie the score at 1-1 with a 6-3, 6-1 triumph over Katie Potts at the No. 5 position. Sophomore Elizabeth Plotkin, ranked 38th in the nation, then gave Duke a 2-1 advantage with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Ciobanu at No. 3.

The Irish got a win from Krisik at the No. 6 spot to knot the score at two apiece as Krisik got past Granson, 6-1, 7-6 (7-3), but the Blue Devils pulled ahead once more on a 6-3, 6-4 victory at No. 2, as sophomore Tara Iyer defeated Buck to put Duke up 3-2.

With two tight matches remaining at No. 1 and No. 4, 13th-ranked Zsilinszka came through with a three-set triumph (6-2, 3-6, 6-1) over Reilley at the No. 4 slot to clinch the win for Duke.

Sixteenth-ranked Nze played in the match of the night at the top position, going up against 59th-ranked Tefft. Tefft would eventually prevail and come away with a 5-7, 8-6, 10-7 win to put the final score at 4-3.

With the win Duke improves to 4-0 (0-0 ACC) while Notre Dame falls to 6-5 (2-0 BIG EAST).

Duke will return to action tomorrow, Friday, Feb. 22, as the Blue Devils take on No. 72 Princeton. First serve is set for 6 p.m. at Sheffield Indoor Tennis Center.

On Sunday, Feb. 24, No. 8 Duke will host No. 2 Northwestern at 12 noon.

Match By Match Results: No. 8 Duke 4, No. 15 Notre Dame 3

Singles

1. #59 Kelcy Tefft (ND) def. #16 Ellah Nze (D) 5-7, 8-6, 10-7

2. Tara Iyer (D) def. Brook Buck (ND) 6-3, 6-4

3. #38 Elizabeth Plotkin (D) def. Cosmina Ciobanu (ND) 6-3, 6-1

4. #13 Reka Zsilinszka (D) def. Colleen Reilley (ND) 6-2, 3-6, 6-1

5. Melissa Mang (D) def. Katie Potts (ND) 6-3, 6-1

6. Kali Krisik (ND) def. Amanda Granson (D) 6-1, 7-6 (7-3)

Order of finish: 5,3,6,2,4*,1

Doubles

1. #3 K. Tefft/B. Buck (ND) def. E. Nze/R. Zsilinszka (D) 8-6

2. K. Krisik/Kristen Rafael (ND) def. M. Mang/Tory Zawacki (D) 8-6

3. C. Ciobanu/C. Reilley (ND) def. A. Granson/Jessi Robinson (D) 8-5

Order of finish: 3,2*,1

Match Notes

Team Records: Duke (4-0, 0-0 ACC), Notre Dame (6-5, 2-0 BIG EAST)