The Wisconsin women's tennis team will host the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in a non-conference match Thursday afternoon at Nielsen Tennis Stadium. First serve is set for 4 p.m.
The Badgers (3-10) will have their hands full this afternoon with a powerful Notre Dame squad. The Fighting Irish (15-1) are currently ranked No. 3 in the most recent Fila women's tennis poll.
Of Notre Dame's 15 wins, 11 have been over top-25-ranked teams, including victories over No. 23 Michigan and No. 8 Northwestern of the Big Ten Conference.
Notre Dame is also currently riding a ten-game winning streak after defeating the No. 23 Duke Blue Devils and the No. 19 Tennessee Lady Vols last weekend in San Diego, Calif.
The Irish have already had success in Madison earlier this spring. Notre Dame came to town in early February where they brought home the runner-up trophy in the USTA/ITA National Women's Indoor Championships held at Nielsen Tennis Stadium. They suffered their first and only loss of the year to No. 6 Georgia Tech in the championship match.
Wisconsin is looking to snap a five-match losing streak, as its last victory came over in-state rival Marquette on Valentine's Day.
On an individual level, the Badgers will look to upset the Irish, as three of Wisconsin's top six singles matches will be against ranked opponents.
Notre Dame's No. 19 Catrina Thompson boasts a 14-3 individual record, while her sister, Christian Thompson is ranked No. 89. Notre Dame also will show off freshman phenom Cosmina Ciobanu, who is ranked 62nd and is undefeated at 16-0 on the season.
On the doubles side, the Fighting Irish have three pairs that are nationally ranked. The Thompson sisters have been dominant this season, soaring to a 12-3 record and a No. 4 ranking. The tandem of Brook Buck and Kelcy Tefft also owns a No. 24 ranking and a 13-2 record. Rounding out the doubles roster is the No. 52 duo of Ciobanu and Kali Krisik who are 12-4 on the season.
Injuries have plagued the Badgers, and the athletes have had to shift around the roster. Senior Caitlin Burke (Cedarburg, Wis.) has been on the disabled list this spring, but will look to make an instant impact for UW tonight. Burke has climbed to a No. 18 singles ranking despite her seven week absence from matches. She has not played singles since Feb. 1, when she suffered her only loss of the spring season to Miami's top-ranked individual Audra Cohen.
Senior Kaylan Caiati (Greendale, Wis.) and sophomore Liz Carpenter (Sierra Madre, Calif.) will likely hold the second and third singles spots. The duo of Caiati and Carpenter has mustered a 3-6 record so far this season in doubles competition.
After today's match against Notre Dame, the Badgers will have a week off before returning to Big Ten competition. Saturday, March 31, the Badgers will host Purdue at Nielsen Tennis Stadium. Game time is set for 11 a.m.
