After a trip to the Caribbean where they swept LIU Brooklyn, Notre Dame returns to ACC action Friday against Wake Forest at Eck Tennis Pavilion.
Before the trip to Puerto Rico, the Irish (9-5, 3-2 ACC) hit a rough patch, losing two consecutive matches to Syracuse and Miami after accumulating a four-match winning streak. The Irish now sit at 3-2 in ACC play and will look to improve their conference record against the Demon Deacons (12-4, 2-3 ACC). The last time the Irish and the Demon Deacons went head-to-head, Notre Dame came away with a 7-0 victory April 3 of last year in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
The Demon Deacons started their season by winning nine consecutive matches. Since then, however, the team has lost three of its last five, including two in a row against No. 19 Georgia Tech and No. 3 North Carolina.
After they play Notre Dame on Friday, Wake Forest's tough stretch of matches continues at home against No. 10 Virginia on Sunday.
Notre Dame also enters the heart of its ACC schedule after Friday afternoon’s matchup, as the Irish travel to take on North Carolina State and North Carolina before facing No. 8 Duke on April 3.
The Irish have momentum, however, after sweeping the Blackbirds (0-8) in Puerto Rico by a score of 7-0. All six Irish singles matches were decided in two sets, and junior Mary Closs did not lose a single game.
Against Wake Forest, Notre Dame will look for its top two athletes, senior Quinn Gleason and junior Monica Robinson, to deliver strong performances. Gleason is 14-6 in singles play this year, while Robinson is 12-5. The pair is also Notre Dame’s No. 1 doubles team with an 8-6 record on the season.
The Irish also sport an emerging sophomore in West Chester, Ohio native Brooke Broda. Broda is 16-1 on the year, including a record of 10-0 in dual play. Broda has played in the No. 5 singles spot for the Irish up to this point in the season.
Notre Dame is set to kick of its match against Wake Forest on Friday at 3:30 p.m. at Courtney Tennis Center.
