No. 25 Women's Tennis Beats No. 24 Notre Dame, 6-1
April 12, 2003
CORAL GABLES, Fla.-The No. 25-ranked Miami women’s tennis team won all three doubles and five-of-six singles matches cruising to a 6-1 victory over No. 24 Notre Dame in its regular season finale Saturday afternoon at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center.
Miami improves to 15-5 overall, while the Fighting Irish fall to 13-8 on the season.
The Hurricanes honored graduating seniors Igna deVilliers (Capetown, South Africa) and Abby Smith (Chicago, Ill.) prior to the match.
Miami started the match off strong winning all three doubles.
The No. 22 ranked duo ofMelissa Applebaum (Coral Gables, Fla.) and Megan Bradley (Columbia, Mo.) teamed up to beat Katie Cunha and Jen Smith 8-2 at No. 1 doubles.
Seniors deVilliers and Smith were down 4-2 on court two but rallied back beating Lauren Connelly and Alicia Salas 8-5.
Mari Toro (Miami, Fla.) and Staci Stevens (Hammond, La.) beat Sarah Jane Connelly and Kristin Stastny 8-5 at the No. 3 spot.
No. 59 Applebaum beat No. 87 Salas in straight sets 6-4, 6-2 at No. 2 singles to put the Hurricanes up 2-0 in the match.
Stevens won a tough first set 7-5 and beat Stastny 6-1 in the second set at No. 4 singles to put UM on top 3-0.
Toro clinched the win for Miami with a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Cunha at No. 3 singles.
Sihem Bennacer (Algiers, Algeria) beat SJ Connelly in three sets 6-2, 2-6, 6-1 at No. 5 singles and Sara Robbins (Tuscon, Ariz.) beat L Connelly 6-4, 5-7 (10-4) at No. 6 singles.
Miami will host the BIG EAST Tournament April 25-27 at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center.
No. 25 Miami 6, No. 24 Notre Dame 1
Singles
1. No. 39 Caylan Leslie (UND) def. No. 121 Megan Bradley (UM) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
2. No. 59 Melissa Applebaum (UM) def. No. 87 Alicia Salas (UND) 6-4, 6-2
3. *Mari Toro (UM) def. Katie Cunha (UND) 7-6 (7), 6-1
4. Staci Stevens (UM) def. Kristina Stastny (UND) 7-5, 6-1
5. Sihem Bennacer (UM) def. Sarah Jane Connelly (UND) 6-2, 2-6, 6-1
6. Sara Robbins (UM) def. Lauren Connelly (UND) 6-4, 5-7, 10-4
2, 4, 3, 1, 5, 6 – order of finish *-clinched match
Doubles
1. No. 22 Applebaum/Bradley (UM) def. Cunha/Jen Smith (UND) 8-2
2. Igna deVilliers/Abby Smith (UM) def. L. Connelly/Salas (UND) 8-5
3. Toro/Stevens (UM) def. SJ Connelly/Stastny (UND) 8-5
