Feb. 21, 2010
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Playing its first true road match of the season, top-ranked Northwestern ran into a confident Notre Dame team Sunday and was dealt its first loss of the year in a 5-2 decision in South Bend. The Fighting Irish won the doubles point and then captured straight-set victories at the top three singles positions to clinch the upset.
After the match was decided with Notre Dame leading 4-0, Northwestern (8-1) received singles wins by senior Lauren Lui and sophomore Elena Chernyakova at the No. 4 and 6 positions, respectively. Both remain unbeaten in dual matches with Lui at 8-0 and Chernyakova at 5-0 on the year.
Northwestern's first loss of the season came one week shy of one full calendar year since its last regular season defeat (Feb. 28, 2009, vs. Duke). The 'Cats have finished each of the last two seasons with just one regular season dual match loss.
Notre Dame (7-1) entered Sunday's match with an 0-4 mark in its last four outings against Northwestern but quickly took control in doubles play. The eighth-ranked tandem of Kristy Frilling and Kali Krisik defeated NU's No. 1 pairing of Chernyakova and Lui by an 8-5 score. The Fighting Irish then secured the doubles point with an 8-4 victory at No. 2 by Shannon Matthews and Chrissie McGaffigan against Samantha Murray and Brittany Wowchuk, playing together in doubles for the first time this season.
Notre Dame carried its momentum into singles with three convincing wins that gave the Fighting Irish the 4-0 lead and the dual victory. The 23rd-ranked Frilling defeated NU's 12th-ranked Maria Mosolova, 6-1, 6-2, at No. 1, while Matthews overcame 29th-ranked Murray in the second position, 6-2, 6-3. McGaffigan was responsible for the clincher with her 6-3, 6-2 defeat of Kate Turvy in the No. 3 slot.
Lui's 6-3, 7-5 win at No. 4 came against 114th-ranked Kali Krisik while Chernyakova bested Kristen Rafael, 6-4, 6-3. The only match to go three sets was the No. 5 contest, where Cosmina Ciobanu was able to top NU's Wowchuk 6-2 in the decisive set.
Next up for the No. 1 Wildcats is the opening match of the Big Ten regular season. Eleven-time defending conference champion NU travels downstate to face No. 31 Illinois at 6 p.m. Friday.
No. 17 Notre Dame 5, No. 1 Northwestern 2
Singles
1: #23 Kristy Frilling (ND) def. #12 Maria Mosolova (NU), 6-1, 6-2
2: Shannon Matthews (ND) def. #29 Samantha Murray (NU), 6-2, 6-3
3: Chrissie McGaffigan (ND) def. #108 Kate Turvy (NU), 6-3, 6-2
4: Lauren Lui (NU) def. #114 Kali Krisik (ND), 6-3, 7-5
5: Cosmina Ciobanu (ND) def. Brittany Wowchuk (NU), 6-4, 2-6, 6-2
6: Elena Chernyakova (NU) def. Kristen Rafael (ND), 6-4, 6-3
Doubles
1: Frilling/Krisik (ND) def. Chernyakova/Lui (NU), 8-5
2: Matthews/McGaffigan (ND) def. Murray/Wowchuk (NU), 8-4
3: Ciobanu/Rielley (ND) def. Lee/Mosolova (NU), 8-7
Order of Finish:
Singles (1, 2, 3*, 6, 4, 5)
Doubles (1, 2*, 3)