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Thursday, March 28, 2024
The Observer

Irish drop both contests at ITA Kickoff

Notre Dame dropped a pair of matches over the weekend, losing 4-0 to No. 11 Oklahoma State on Saturday and 4-0 to No. 27 Arizona State on Sunday at the ITA Kickoff Weekend in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

In singles action Saturday against the Cowboys, Notre Dame failed to snag a single win. Junior Mary Closs was the first to finish, losing her match at No. 4 singles to Oklahoma State senior Kelsey Laurente 6-0, 6-2. Losses by junior Monica Robinson to Cowboys sophomore Vladica Babic, 6-4, 6-1 at No. 2 singles, and by senior Julie Vrabel, 6-4, 6-2 at the No. 6 flight to fellow senior Maria Alvarez sealed Notre Dame’s fate after the Irish lost the doubles point earlier.

Irish senior Quinn Gleason serves during Notre Dame’s 7-0 home win over Western Michigan on Jan. 19 at Eck Tennis Pavilion.
Irish senior Quinn Gleason serves during Notre Dame’s 7-0 home win over Western Michigan on Jan. 19 at Eck Tennis Pavilion.
Irish senior Quinn Gleason serves during Notre Dame’s 7-0 home win over Western Michigan on Jan. 19 at Eck Tennis Pavilion.

Senior Quinn Gleason was behind in her match at No. 1 singles, 7-5, 2-0 before the match was discontinued, while sophomore Allison Miller trailed 6-4, 2-5 at the match’s retirement. Irish sophomore Brooke Broda was up a break in the third set, 2-0, at No. 5 singles when play stopped for the day.

The lone win of the day for the Irish came from Gleason and Robinson's doubles competition when they upset Laurente and Alvarez, the ninth-ranked doubles tandem in the country, winning 6-1. However, the Irish fell at the Nos. 2 and 3 flights, failing to pick up a point.

On Sunday against Arizona State, it was a similar story for Notre Dame. Robinson lost her match at No. 2 singles 6-4, 6-4, while Vrabel lost 6-3, 6-2, and Closs lost 6-3, 6-3 at Nos. 6 and 4 respectively, sealing the Irish loss after the Nos. 2 and 3 doubles teams fell once again. Gleason and Robinson didn’t finish their match at No. 1 doubles after the Sun Devils secured the point.

Louderback said that inability to get results at Nos. 2 and 3 doubles is a spot for the Irish to improve moving forward.

“We really need to get better at 2 and 3 doubles,” Louderback said. “We have some things we have been working on in practice that we need to implement in matches.”

Despite this, Louderback said he was pleased with the performance from his top doubles team.

“Our No. 1 doubles looked really good, and I thought Quinn Gleason and Allie Miller played well both singles matches,” Louderback said.

Notre Dame’s next matches are Sunday at the Eck Tennis Pavilion. The doubleheader begins at 11 a.m. when the Irish take on Illinois and continues at 5 p.m. against Bowling Green.

“The season is just starting so we need to get our doubles better and make sure we only worry about the next match we play,” Louderback said.