Hurricanes Down Top-Seeded Notre Dame, 4-0 to Win the 2004 BIG EAST Women's Tennis Championship
May 1, 2004
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Senior Mari Toro (Miami, Fla.) held off top-seeded Notre Dame’s Catrina Thompson to win at No. 3 singles, 6-4, 7-5, clinching a 4-0 win over the Fighting Irish to give the second-seeded, and 26th-ranked University of Miami women’s tennis team the 2004 BIG EAST Women’s Tennis Championship Saturday afternoon at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center.
The Hurricanes (17-3) made their BIG EAST curtain call in grand fashion, taking two out of three doubles matches and winning three singles matches over Notre Dame to claim their eighth championship title in their final appearance at the BIG EAST tournament.
Miami and Notre Dame kicked off their ninth consecutive match-up in the conference championship match with UM”s tandem of Toro and freshman Audrey Banada (North Miami Beach, Fla.) knocking off Sarah Jane Connelly and Emily Neighbors, 8-6 at No. 3 doubles to give the Hurricanes a 1-0 advantage in the drive for the doubles point.
Notre Dame’s duo of Lauren Connelly and Alicia Salas responded at No. 2 doubles, downing junior Staci Stevens (Hammond, La.) and senior Sara Robbins (Tucson, Ariz.) by a similar score of 8-6.
With the doubles point on the line, the Hurricanes’ 27th-ranked doubles team of junior Megan Bradley (Columbia, Mo.) and sophomore Melissa Applebaum (Coral Gables, Fla.) upended Catrina Thompson and Christian Thompson, 8-6 at the No. 1 slot, to give UM the doubles victory and a 1-0 lead heading into singles play.
Bradley, who finished the tournament surrendering just two points in two singles matches, extended the Miami lead to 2-0, cruising past Salas, 6-0, 6-1 at No. 1 singles.
Miami’s Banada finished next for the Hurricanes, downing Stastny, 6-1, 6-3 at No. 5 to pull UM to within one point from the victory at 3-0.
At No. 3 singles Toro brought Miami closer to the win, edging out Catrina Thompson, 6-4 in the first set.
Thompson took the first point in the second set before Toro put together consecutive points to take a 2-1 lead. The two would tie at two points each and once again at four points apiece until Thompson was able to win back-to-back points, bringing the second set score to 5-4.
Toro tied the match at five and holding serve was able to pull ahead 6-5 before eventually clinching the win with a score of 7-5, giving the Hurricanes their fourth and final point, sealing the championship title.
With the win, the Hurricanes earn the BIG EAST’s automatic bid to the NCAA Championships held May 20-29 at the University of Georgia in Athens, Ga.
No. 2 Miami 4, No. 1 Notre Dame 0
The BIG EAST Tennis Championships – Finals
May 1, 2004
Coral Gables, Fla.
Singles
1. Megan Bradley (UM) def. Alicia Salas (ND), 6-0, 6-1
2. Melissa Applebaum (UM) vs. Christian Thompson (ND), 2-6, 7-5, 2-1 (DNF)
3. Mari Toro (UM) def. Catrinia Thompson (ND), 6-4, 7-5
4. Staci Stevens (UM) vs. Lauren Connelly (ND), 7-5, 4-5 (DNF)
5. Audrey Banada (UM) def. Kristina Stastny (ND), 6-1, 6-3
6. Sara Robbins (UM) vs. Sarah Jane Connelly (ND), 6-4, 5-7, 0-2 (DNF)
Order of finish: 1, 5, 3
Doubles
1. Megan Bradley/Melissa Applebaum (UM) def. Catrina Thompson/Christian Thompson (ND), 8-6
2. Lauren Connelly/Alicia Salas (ND) def. Staci Stevens/Sara Robbins (UM), 8-6
3. Mari Toro/Audrey Banada (UM) def. Sarah Jane Connelly/Emily Neighbors (ND), 8-6
Order of finish: 3, 2, 1
