ND wins four straight heading into ACC tournament

After winning both matches against St. Bonaventure University and ACC rival Georgia Tech, Notre Dame continued its winning ways with a sweep of the weekend against conference foe Clemson and Omaha.

With the two victories, the Irish (16-13, 5-7 ACC) extended their win streak to four matches before heading into the ACC tournament.

Notre Dame began the day against Clemson (9-16, 2-10 ACC) with a hot start, taking the doubles point with a 6-1 win from the No. 1 pairing of sophomore Richard Ciamarra and freshman Axel Nefve and a 6-2 win from the No. 3 pairing of junior Guillermo Cabrera and sophomore William Howells.

In singles, the Irish would go up quickly after a Clemson player retired on court three, giving Cabrera the victory 5-0. Junior Matt Gamble pushed the lead to three after winning his match 6-2, 6-0 against Clemson freshman Mike Agee. Senior Grayson Broadus would be the next to finish, winning 6-2, 6-0 and the Irish would clinch the match after a win from Howells, 6-0, 6-3.

In the second match of the doubleheader, the Irish came out strong against Omaha (8-15, 1-4 Summit League) earning the 7-0 sweep. Notre Dame took the doubles point with a pair of 6-1 victories from the pairing of Broadus and Gamble as well as the pairing of senior Daniel Rayl and junior Jonathan Small. The Irish did not miss a beat in singles, taking four of the six matches in straight sets. Daniel Rayl would win his match in three sets, 6-4, 4-6, 1-0. Sophomore Paul Gota would also need three sets to earn the victory, 7-5, 4-6, 1-0.

The Irish now turn their attention to the ACC tournament where they will head to Cary, North Carolina. Notre Dame will enter the tournament as the No. 9-seed where it will take on the No. 8-seed, Virginia Tech. The Irish fell short in their last meeting with the Hokies, falling 2-5 on the road. Doubles play will begin at 9 a.m. on Thursday.