With the momentum of four wins in five matches on its side, No. 24 Notre Dame will begin play in the Big East championships Friday, attempting to win its fourth straight conference title.
"We're finally getting into the last stretch of the year leading up to NCAAs," junior captain Kristy Frilling said. "Now is the time for us to step it up."
The Irish will have the home court advantage in the tournament. A win would give them a boost of confidence for the upcoming NCAA tournament, where the Irish have high hopes this year.
"As we get closer to NCAAs we want everyone to be playing their best, being excited to compete and giving every match their all," Frilling said.
The Irish are especially eager to potentially face USF, who defeated Notre Dame 5-2 in February.
"I think we're all excited to get some revenge, and getting it in the conference tournament will make it much more rewarding," Frilling said.
Frilling thinks her team has an excellent chance in both tournaments.
"Winning the Big East would be very important for us," Frilling said. "It will give us an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament and it especially will give us confidence leading into the NCAA tournament."
The team has consistently improved throughout the season. The Irish rebounded from a sub-par March in which they went 2-4 by reeling off four wins in their last five matches. The run culminated in back-to-back 6-1 victories over Marquette and DePaul. Frilling cites teamwork as a large factor in her team's success.
"I think our team has great chemistry and we all care about how we do and about each other," Frilling said. "Little things like that really help, even when you don't think it matters."
The tournament will begin Friday at 9 a.m. when the Irish take on Georgetown at the Courtney Tennis Center. Matches continue Saturday and the Big East champion will be crowned Sunday.
