After losing three of their last four matches, the Irish hope to return to the winner’s circle against two ACC opponents this weekend at their home Eck Tennis Pavilion. The No. 12 Irish (14-8, 4-4 ACC) face Miami at home on Friday and host Florida State and Valparaiso on Sunday.
In their most recent match, the Irish were upset on the road by North Carolina State, losing by a 4-3 margin in Raleigh, N.C. Against the Wolfpack, the Irish found themselves in a deficit after dropping the point in double play. Senior Greg Andrews, ranked No. 20 in the country, senior Ryan Bandy and freshman Eddy Covalschi all won their singles matches what was eventually a losing effort for the Irish the losing effort.
Florida State (15-9, 3-5 ACC) will also enter competition having lost its last four ACC matches. The Seminoles fell at home to the Tar Heels and Blue Devils on April 4 and 6, respectively, both by the score of 5-2.
The Seminoles will head to Notre Dame with two players ranked in to top 100 for individual play. Seminole juniors Dominic Cotrone and Christian Gonzalez Mendez are ranked No. 84 and No. 100, respectively. Notre Dame’s team also features two players ranked nationally: Andrews and sophomore Quentin Monaghan, who is currently No. 89. Before Sunday’s matchup with Notre Dame, Florida State is slated to face Boston College on Friday afternoon.
Valparaiso (15-6, 1-2 Horizon League) enters the weekend on a mini-losing streak. Last weekend they fell on the road to Green Bay, 6-1. Before facing the Irish, the Crusaders will play Detroit on Friday. After this weekend, Valparaiso still has three more regular season matches before they compete for the Horizon League postseason championships.
After this weekend, Notre Dame will head to Massachusetts on April 19 to face Boston College at the Flynn Recreational Complex. The match will be their regular season and conference finale before the squad will head to the ACC championships in Cary, N.C., April 24-27.
