No. 18 Hurricanes Edged Out by No. 27 Notre Dame, 5-2
April 4, 2004
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The 18th-ranked University of Miami women’s tennis team’s rally from three points behind was cut short as No. 27 Notre Dame downed the Hurricanes, 5-2 Sunday afternoon in South Bend, Ind.
Miami (13-3) struck first in doubles play as UM’s tandem of Audrey Banada (North Miami Beach, Fla.) and Mari Toro (Miami, Fla.) defeated Emily Neighbours and Kristina Stastny, 8-1 in the No. 3 slot.
The Irish (10-6) responded with a win by Lauren Connelly and Alicia Salas over the Hurricanes’ Staci Stevens (Hammond, La.) and Sara Robbins (Tucson, Ariz.), 8-6 at the No. 2 flight.
With the doubles point on the line, ND’s Christina Thompson and Catrina Thompson upended the 22nd-ranked duo of Melissa Applebaum (Coral Gables, Fla.) and Megan Bradley (Columbia, Mo.), 8-6 at No. 1 to take a 1-0 lead heading into singles.
Notre Dame carried momentum from the doubles win into singles with Sarah Jane Connelly downing Sihem Bennacer (Algiers, Algeria), 6-3, 6-0 at No. 6 followed by Lauren Connelly winning over Stevens, 6-3, 6-2 at No. 4.
With the Irish leading 3-0, Bradley, ranked 4th in the nation in singles, defeated No. 10 Salas, 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 at No. 1 to put the Hurricanes on the board for the first time of the afternoon.
Teammate Toro would follow suite at No. 3, downing No. 92 Catrina Thompson, 6-0, 7-6 (7-5) to bring Miami within one point of the Irish.
Notre Dame’s Stastny would end the UM rally with a win over Banada, 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 at No. 5 to clinch the match for the Irish and with the match decided, ND’s Christian Thompson defeated Applebaum, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 at No. 2 to give the Irish the fifth and final point.
The Hurricanes return to Coral Gables this weekend, hosting Old Dominion April 10 at noon at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center.
No. 27 Notre Dame 5, No. 18 Miami 2
April 4, 2004
South Bend, Ind.
Singles
1. No. 4 Megan Bradley (UM) def. No. 10 Alicia Salas (ND), 6-3, 1-6, 6-2
2. Christian Thompson (ND) def. Melissa Applebaum (UM), 1-6, 7-5, 6-3
3. Mari Toro (UM) def. No. 92 Catrina Thompson (ND), 6-0, 7-6 (7-5)
4. Lauren Connelly (ND) def. Staci Stevens (UM), 6-3, 6-2
5. Kristina Stastny (ND) def. Audrey Banada (UM), 1-6, 6-4, 6-4
6. Sarah Jane Connelly (ND) def. Sihem Bennacer (UM), 6-3, 6-0
Order of finish: 6, 4, 1, 3, 5, 2
Doubles
1. Christian Thompson/Catrina Thompson (ND) def. No. 22 Melissa Applebaum/Megan Bradley (UM), 8-6
2. Lauren Connelly/Alicia Salas (ND) def. Staci Stevens/Sara Robbins (UM), 8-6
3. Audrey Banada/Mari Toro (UM) def. Emily Neighbours/Kristina Stastny (ND), 8-1
Order of finish: 3, 2, 1
