The Irish weekend trip to Miami and No. 22 Florida State was a challenging one. The team took 5-2 and 6-1 losses, failing to win a singles match in their matchup with the Seminoles. The pair of losses dropped the team’s ACC record to 3-5, and the team must now prepare to face Wake Forest this Friday. Irish head coach Alison Silverio commented that the team needs to focus on what it can control.
“We need to focus on the areas we have control over. Fitness and the physical piece of the game have been big items for us this season. That’s certainly going to be a focus going into this week,” Silverio said. “Learning from the weekend we had in Florida and the day-to-day consistency of our attitude, effort and the decisions we’re making. We really need to take care of the details in the areas we have control over.”
One of the biggest challenges for the Irish (10-7, 3-5 ACC) has been competing in such a strong league. The ACC has seven of the top-25 ranked teams in the country, and five of the top-15 ranked singles players. There are no games off playing in such a tough league, and Silverio says her team enjoys the challenge, even when the results do not go Notre Dame’s way.
“We embrace the challenge [of playing in the ACC]. The ACC is hands-down the best conference to play in for women’s tennis. It’s the strongest conference, that’s what we want. We want to be playing the best teams week-in, week-out,” Silverio said. “If we want to be the best, which is certainly what we want to be, then we have to beat the best. We certainly see it as an opportunity to get better and a challenge we want to embrace every weekend. We’re grateful to get to play the best teams in the nation.”
Playing such a strong schedule allows stars to prove themselves against the strongest competition, and that is exactly what sophomore Ally Bojczuk has done this season. Bojczuk is 9-2 in singles matches this season when she plays in the No. 2 singles spot, forcing her to take on top competition from other teams. She was one of just two Irish players, graduate student Brooke Broda being the other, to take a singles win this weekend. Silverio has been impressed with Bojczuk’s progression as a player.
“Looking at her results from last year, Ally has certainly made a jump forward. It’s a testament to the hard work and discipline that she has been bringing in every day,” Silverio said. “All the credit to Ally for the development she has been making. This development is no surprise. She comes in every day ready to work and focuses on the areas she has control over.”
The Irish will now turn their attention to Wake Forest (15-3, 5-1). The Demon Deacons recently picked up a 5-2 win over Syracuse followed by a 7-0 sweep of North Carolina A&T. They will have to try to beat the Irish at Eck Tennis Center where the Irish are 7-1 on the season. It will be the first home match for the Irish since a 7-0 win over Louisville on March 8. Siverio knows her team is excited to return home.
“It’s always exciting to be at home and be in front of our crowd and represent Notre Dame on our home court,” she said. “Certainly when we travel on the road it’s a great experience and we learn so much and it brings us so much closer as a team, but to come back home and be able to be in front of our home crowd is an exciting feeling.”
The Irish will take on the Wake Forest on Friday at 3:30 p.m. at Eck Tennis Center.
