Jan. 26, 2013
LINCOLN, NEB. – The 22nd-ranked Georgia Tech women’s tennis team (1-1) dropped a tough 4-3 match to the 18th-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish (3-0) in the opener of the ITA Kick-Off Weekend at the University of Nebraska. Georgia Tech will now face No. 23 Tennessee at 10 a.m. CT Sunday. The Lady Vols lost 4-3 to host and 17th-ranked Nebraska Saturday.
“I’m certainly disappointed in today’s outcome,” head coach Rodney Harmon said. “It was a match of opportunities and I have to give Notre Dame credit, they took advantage of the opportunities they had. Our doubles teams played great, Liz played great at No 1 singles against a very good No. 1 player and Natasha played very well at No. 5. Overall, we played hard, competed hard but just didn’t take advantage of the opportunities we had.
“Now we have to put this match behind us and get ready for Tennessee tomorrow,” Harmon added. “Tennessee lost a very tough match today and it’ll be another battle.”
The Irish took an early edge when their No. 1 doubles team of Jennifer Kellner and Chrissie McGaffigan downed Tech’s side of Elizabeth Kilborn and Alex Anghelescu 8-3. The Jackets quickly leveled doubles play with an 8-3 victory by Muriel Wacker and Natasha Prokhnevska over Notre Dame’s tandem of Julie Sabacinski and Molly O’Koniewski at No. doubles.
The first point of the day would come down to the middle doubles match in which Tech’s freshmen pair of Megan Kurey and Kendal Woodard edged Notre Dame’s team of Britney Sanders and Quinn Gleason, 8-6, to give Tech a 1-0 lead.
Kilborn, ranked No. 39, gave Georgia Tech a 2-0 team lead as she defeated No. 58 Britney Sanders 6-3, 7-6, at No. 1 singles. It is the fourth win over a ranked opponent for Kilborn this year.
Notre Dame got on the board with a 6-4, 6-3 win by Gleason over the Jackets’ Anghelescu at No. 3 singles. Tech edged further ahead and got within one point of the team victory when Prokhnevska, a freshman, battled past the Irish’s Sabacinski, a junior, 7-5, 6-4, at No. 5 singles.
The Irish began their comeback when McGaffigan edged out Kurey 7-6, 6-4 at No. 4 singles. Notre Dame would level the team score at 3-3 with a 7-6, 6-3 victory by O’Koniewski over Wacker at No. 6 singles.
In fitting fashion for a match featuring two evenly paired teams, the final and winning point would be claimed in three-set thriller. Tech’s Woodard posted a 6-4 first set victory but ND’s Kellner would claim 7-6 wins in the second and third sets to send the Irish to the ITA Kick-Off Weekend championship match.
Fans are encouraged to follow Georgia Tech women’s tennis on Twitter, @GT_WTEN, and like the Yellow Jackets on Facebook, GTWomensTennis, for an inside look at the program.
No. 22 Georgia Tech vs. No. 18 Notre Dame
Singles:
1. #39 Elizabeth Kilborn (GT) def. #58 Britney Sanders (ND), 6-3, 7-6
2. Jennifer Kellner (ND) def. Kendal Woodard (GT), 4-6, 7-6, 7-6
3. Quinn Gleason (ND) def. Alex Anghelescu (GT), 6-4, 6-3
4. Chrissie McGaffigan (ND) def. Megan Kurey (GT), 7-6, 6-4
5. Natasha Prokhnevska (GT) def. Julie Sabacinski (ND), 7-5, 6-4
6. Molly O’Koniewski (ND) def. Muriel Wacker (GT), 7-6, 6-3
Order of finish: 1, 3, 5, 4, 6, 2
Doubles:
1. Jennifer Kellner / Chrissie McGaffigan (ND) def. Elizabeth Kilborn / Alex Anghelescu (GT), 8-3
2. Megan Kurey / Kendal Woodard (GT) def. Britney Sanders / Quinn Gleason (ND), 8-6
3. Muriel Wacker / Natasha Prokhnevska (GT) def. Julie Sabacinski / Molly O’Koniewski (ND), 8-3
Order of finish: 1, 3, 2
–RamblinWreck.com–
