Notre Dame women’s tennis has been in impressive form so far this season, and came into a busy week with high expectations to continue their good form. An Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) opener at Louisville before hosting Bellarmine would prove a tough test for the formidable Irish.
To kick things off was a Friday trip to Louisville to open the Irish’s ACC campaign. The Cardinals were 5-0 to begin the season, only dropping one point through their first five games. However, the Irish came hungry for their seventh straight victory. The day didn’t get off to the best start as the Irish dropped the doubles point, with disappointing 6-2 losses for the No. 25-ranked pair of senior Bojana Pozder and sophomore partner Bianca Molnar, as well as senior Akari Matsuno and freshman Sophia Holod. The other senior and freshman pairing of Rylie Hanford and Gabriella Rawles picked up a 6-4 win, which ultimately proved fruitless as the Cardinals took the early lead.
Clearly, the Irish took this personally, as they came out firing in the singles. Molnar proved why she is deserving of her ITA No. 50 ranking as she battled past the Cardinals’ senior Alice Otis in a tough 6-4, 6-4 victory, continuing her perfect record whilst playing No. 1 singles for the season. Seniors Matsuno and Hanford both fought hard in tough tiebreaks to take their respective matches, with a 7-6(5), 6-3 win for Matsuno over Louisville junior Germany Davis and a 6-3, 7-6(4) win for Hanford against junior Berta Miret. Finally, Rawles eased past Louisville senior Rebekkah Gaines 6-1, 6-2 to ensure it was happy travels for the Irish, who kick off their ACC campaign with a point in the win column.
Next up for the Irish was a return to Eck Tennis Pavilion for a doubleheader against the Bellarmine Knights, who have had a mixed season with a strong 5-1 home record but have seen struggles away from home, sitting at 1-6. With the Irish in good form, they were surely brimming with confidence going into Sunday.
There was no slow start like Friday, as Holod and Molnar had no mercy in a 6-0 victory over senior Vendula Kryslova and sophomore Reese Parker, whilst Hanford and Rawles sealed the doubles point as they eased past freshman Gracie Hurley and junior Lillie Willis 6-1. This form was carried right into the singles, as the Irish went 4-2 in singles to seal the 5-2 victory, with dominant victories all around. Holod won 6-1, 6-1 over Krysolva in her first game at one singles this season, whilst at two, Hanford defeated junior Marika Caruk 6-2, 6-3.
The other two Irish wins came courtesy of two of the Irish’s excellent freshman class, as Jessica Kovalcik only dropped one game in a 6-0, 6-1 victory over fellow freshman Hurley, whilst Mari-Louise Van Zyl got past Willis in a 6-2, 6-3 win. The two Knights wins were in thrillers, as Parker beat Rawles 6-3, 1-6, 1-0 and junior Nikola Kollaritsch fought back against sophomore Esther Vrylan to win 2-6, 7-5, 1-0.
In the evening session, it was Irish dominance once again as they swept a 4-0 victory to end the day on a high. Holod, Kovalcik, Vrylan and Rawles all shone in this Irish victory, with none of them dropping a set as they eased past the Knights. The Irish will host Miami next Friday in another ACC matchup, before they take on the Florida State Seminoles next Sunday.
