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CARY, N.C. – The 25th-ranked/6th-seeded Notre Dame women’s tennis team secured win number 20 on the season after defeating 41st-ranked/14th-seeded Wake Forest 4-2 during the third round of the 2025 ACC Women’s Tennis Championships. After having a bye in the first two rounds, the Irish will take on 12th-ranked/3rd-seeded NC State tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. in the quarterfinals.
The Irish secured the doubles point, but it didn’t come easy. After Wake Forest took No. 1 doubles, Bianca Molnar/Bojana Pozder responded with a 6-3 win at No. 3 doubles to force a winner-take-all situation on court two.
After a back-and-forth battle at No. 2 doubles, Nibi Ghosh/Rylie Hanford prevailed, winning 7-5 to give Notre Dame the crucial early advantage in its first postseason match of the year.
At No. 5 singles, Hanford battled back in a big way. With the Demon Deacons taking a win at No. 4 singles to go up one, Hanford came back after dropping the first set to win 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 for Notre Dame’s second point on the day.
Maria Olivia Castedo put the Irish up 3-2 after a 7-6(3), 6-4 win at No. 6 singles for the senior. Wake Forest responded with a three-set win at No. 2 singles to keep the Demon Deacons in the match.
But like she’s done throughout the season, Akari Matsuno clinched the match for the Irish, taking down 82nd-ranked Nevena Carton 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 at the top singles spot to push Notre Dame into the ACC Quarterfinals.
#25 Notre Dame 4, #41 Wake Forest 2
Singles:
#65 Akari Matsuno (ND) def. #82 Nevena Carton (WFU) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2
Krystal Blanch (WFU) def. Bianca Molnar (ND) 4-6, 6-1, 6-4
Nibi Ghosh (ND) vs. Anna Zhang (WFU) 4-6, 7-5, 2-1, unfinished
Whitley Pate (WFU) def. Bojana Pozder (ND) 6-0, 6-2
Rylie Hanford (ND) def. Kady Tannenbaum (WFU) 2-6, 6-2, 7-5
Maria Olivia Castedo (ND) def. Sankavi Gownder (WFU) 7-6 (7-3), 6-4
Doubles:
#79 Krystal Blanch/Makayla Mills (WFU) def. #71 Carrie Beckman/Akari Matsuno (ND) 6-2
Nibi Ghosh/Rylie Hanford (ND) def. #88 Kady Tannenbaum/Nevena Carton (WFU) 7-5
Bianca Molnar/Bojana Pozder (ND) def. Whitley Pate/Anna Zhang (WFU) 6-3
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (4,5,6,2,1)
