FORT WORTH, Texas – The University of Notre Dame women’s tennis team competed against a variety of Big 12 teams in the TCU Invitational. The Fighting Irish finished the four-day event with a combined 18-8 record, going 13-1 in the final two days of competition. Yashna Yellayi, Maria Olivia Castedo, Rylie Hanford, Nibi Ghosh and Kate Bellia all competed, with Yellayi going undefeated in singles action and being the tournament’s Co-Champion.
Yellayi dominated the field in singles play, winning three matches, all in straight sets. She started singles play with a 6-4, 7-6 (1) win over Aleen Quamar of Kansas State, then proceeded to defeat Kendall Kovick of BYU 6-1, 6-2 and rounded out the weekend with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Baylor’s Isabella Harvison.
Doubles action saw Yellayi team up with Castedo and Bellia during the weekend. Her pairing with Castedo split two matches, defeating Jillian Harkin and Charlotte Keitel of Kansas State, 8-6 and falling to K-State’s Veronika Kulhava and Tereza Polakova, 8-7 (6). Yellayi matching up with Bellia saw the Irish win two more matches, defeating Avery Pope and Madison Smith of BYU, 7-6 (5) and the Wildcat tandem of Maria Santos and Quamar, 7-6 (2) to round out her weekend.
The other Irish tandem was Hanford and Ghosh, who finished 3-1 on the weekend. After falling to Kulhava and Polakova 8-6 to begin the week, the Irish rebounded to defeat Santos and Quamar, 8-6. The final two matches of the weekend saw the pairing defeat Kara Wheatley and Tina Li of BYU, 6-4 and Baylor’s Isabella Harvison and Daniella Dimitrov, 7-5.
Day one of singles play saw the Irish take two of three matches. Ghosh earned a straight set win over Kovick, 6-4, 6-4. Bellia notched a come-from-behind win over Pope, 3-6, 6-4, 12-10. Castedo dropped her match with Smith, 6-1, 7-6 (9).
All five Irish were in action on day two, with Yellayi’s win being the bright spot. Ghosh, Hanford, Castedo and Bellia all dropped matches to opponents from Kansas State in straight sets.
Notre Dame rebounded nicely, sweeping its four singles matches against BYU on day three. Ghosh earned a 6-2, 6-4 win over Wheatley, Bellia notched a 6-4, 2-6, 10-7 win over Elizabeth Tullis and Castedo defeated Pope, 6-3, 6-2.
The final day’s action saw Notre Dame go 4-1, with wins from Yellayi, Hanford, Castedo and Ghosh. Hanford handled Quamar, 7-6 (7), 3-6, 10-8, with Castedo earning a 3-6, 7-5, 10-8 win over Baylor’s Dimitrov. Ghosh rounded out the action by leading 4-1 when her match was retired.
Notre Dame rounds out the fall season this weekend as it heads to Florida Gulf Coast University for the FGCU Invitational in Fort Myers.
Notre Dame Results
Day 1
Yellayi/Castedo def. Harkin/Keitel (Kansas State) 8-6
Kulhava/Polakova (Kansas State) def. Hanford/Ghosh: 8-6
Ghosh def. Kovick (BYU): 6-4, 6-4
Smith def. Castedo: 6-1, 7-6 (9)
Bellia def. Pope (BYU): 3-6, 6-4, 12-10
Day 2
Kulhava/Polakova (Kansas State) def. Castedo/Yellayi: 8-7 (6)
Ghosh/Hanford def. Quamar/Santos (Kansas State): 8-6
Keitel (Kansas State) def. Ghosh: 6-1, 6-3
Polakova (Kansas State) def. Hanford: 6-2, 6-2
Yellayi def. Quamar (Kansas State): 6-4, 7-6 (1)
Santos (Kansas State) def. Castedo (6-0, 6-2)
Harkin (Kansas State) def. Bellia: 7-6 (7), 6-2
Day 3
Bellia/Yellayi def. Pope/Smith (BYU): 7-6 (5)
Ghosh/Hanford def. Wheatley/Li (BYU): 6-4
Ghosh def. Wheatley (BYU): 6-2, 6-4
Yellayi def. Kovick (BYU): 6-1, 6-2
Bellia def. Tullis (BYU): 6-4, 2-6, 10-7
Castedo def. Pope (BYU): 6-3, 6-2
Day 4
Ghosh/Hanford def. Harvison/Dimitrov (Baylor): 7-5
Bellia/Yellayi def. Santos/Quamar (Kansas State): 7-6 (2)
Yellayi def. Harvison (Baylor): 6-1, 6-4
Hanford def. Quamar (Kansas State): 7-6 (7), 3-6, 10-8
Polk (TCU) def. Bellia: 6-2, 4-6, 10-6
Castedo def. Dimitrov (Baylor): 3-6, 7-5, 10-8
Ghosh def. Santos (Kansas State): 4-1, ret.