Wake Forest University
Notre Dame
Deacs Storm Past Notre Dame in Singles
3/18/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
By Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeWTennis)
NOTRE DAME, Ind. - After dropping the doubles point, the 29th-ranked Wake Forest women's tennis team came on strong in singles to rally past No. 38 Notre Dame, 4-3, at the Eck Tennis Pavilion in Notre Dame, Ind. on Friday evening. Junior Luisa Fernandez and freshmen Emma Davis, Anna Ulyashchenko and Joanna Zalewski all won in singles to lock up the victory.
The Demon Deacons improved to 13-4 on the season and upped their ACC ledger to 3-3. They are now 5-4 against ranked opponents with four of those victories coming on the road.
The match, originally scheduled to be played outdoors at the Courtney Tennis Center at 3:30 p.m., was moved indoors and was delayed until 7:30 p.m. due to weather and a previously scheduled men's match between Notre Dame and Duke.
The Deacs got off to an auspicious start in doubles with a win by Davis and Samantha Asch at No. 2, but the Fighting Irish negated that with a 6-3 win by No. 40-ranked Monica Robinson and Quinn Gleason at No. 1 and claimed the doubles point with a 7-3 tiebreaker win at No. 3.
Wake Forest regained the momentum in singles by taking the first set on all six courts. The first Deacon to capitalize on her opening-frame win was Zalewski at No. 4. She downed Mary Closs, 6-3, 6-3. Moments later, Ulyashchenko gave the Deacs a 2-1 lead by completing a 6-3, 6-2 triumph at No. 3 over Allison Miller.
To make it 3-1, Davis dispatched the 53rd-ranked Robinson in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4 at No. 2. Fernandez secured the team win at No. 6 by winning her last three games to hold off Jane Fennelly, 6-4, 6-4.
To cap the evening, Notre Dame grabbed the final two points with three-set comeback wins at Nos. 1 and 5.
For the first time since 2009, Wake Forest has won three of its first six ACC tilts. The Deacs also started 3-3 that season, but finished the year 3-8 in the conference and 13-13 overall. The win was their first in nine matches against Notre Dame since 2004 and their first on the road against the Irish since 1997.
The Demon Deacons, coming off a three-match road swing, return to action by kicking off a four-match homestand with a doubleheader Sunday. They start the day at 10 a.m. with a showdown against 10th-ranked Virginia before taking on East Carolina at 4:30 p.m.
No. 29 Wake Forest 4, No. 38 Notre Dame 3
Singles competition
1. No. 44 Quinn Gleason (ND) def. No. 50 Kimmy Guerin (WF) 2-6, 6-2, 6-3
2. Emma Davis (WF) def. No. 53 Monica Robinson (ND) 6-1, 6-4
3. Anna Ulyashchenko (WF) def. Allison Miller (ND) 6-3, 6-2
4. Joanna Zalewski (WF) def. Mary Closs (ND) 6-3, 6-3
5. Brooke Broda (ND) def. Samantha Asch (WF) 1-6, 7-5, 6-3
6. Luisa Fernandez (WF) def. Jane Fennelly (ND) 6-4, 6-4
Order of Finish: 4,3,2,6,1,5
Doubles competition
1. No. 40 Monica Robinson/Quinn Gleason (ND) def. Kimmy Guerin/Anna Ulyashchenko (WF) 6-3
2. Emma Davis/Samantha Asch (WF) def. Mary Closs/Julie Vrabel (ND) 6-2
3. Brooke Broda/Allison Miller (ND) def. Luisa Fernandez/Andrea Retolaza (WF) 7-6 (3)
Order of Finish: 2,1,3
Players Mentioned
