Notre Dame takes TRAC crown

McNamara wins singles; Central’s Dennis, Brown capture doubles title

Notre Dame's Teagan McNamara won the TRAC's No. 1 singles title with a victory over St. Ursula's Celina Nowicki.

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Notre Dame's Teagan McNamara won the TRAC's No. 1 singles title with a victory over St. Ursula's Celina Nowicki.

Central Catholic's Mallory Dennis, left, and Emily Brown captured the No. 1 doubles title in the TRAC championships.

Notre Dame, which went unbeaten during regular-season Three Rivers Athletic Conference girls tennis competition, also rolled to victory in Saturday’s conference tournament at Jermain Park.

The Eagles defended their conference championship by sweeping the three singles titles, and capturing the No. 2 doubles crown, posting 14 tournament points for an overall TRAC point total of 28.

“Today, like all year, was a total team effort,” Notre Dame coach Kim Pacella said. “Rather than focusing on one person, or one doubles team, it’s been everyone trying to take their position, win their spot, and go with it.

“If they all take care of their job, we end up winning, and that’s what happened.”

Clay, which placed second in the tournament, tied St. Ursula for second place overall, each with 22 total points.

“It wasn’t easy,” Pacella said. “Everyone was gunning for us, obviously. Even though we won every [TRAC] match during the season there was still pressure. But they took a very businesslike approach and went from there.”

Notre Dame junior Teagan McNamara defeated St. Ursula’s Celina Nowicki, 6-1, 6-0, for the No. 1 singles title.

Eagles sophomore Alicia Nahhas beat Clay’s Bailey Coughlin 6-0, 6-0, to win the No. 2 singles crown, and junior teammate Nina Eid bested St. Ursula’s Amanda Sahoury 6-2, 6-1 in the No. 3 final.

In doubles, the Central Catholic team of Emily Brown and Mallory Dennis defeated Clay’s Jennifer Belkofer and Emilie Roman 6-2, 6-3 in the No. 1 title match.

Notre Dame’s No. 2 doubles title was supplied by junior twin sisters Xan and Sheridan Miller, who topped Clay’s Jennifer Lucas and Rachel Nelson, 6-2, 6-4, in the final.

The Eagles closed the regular season with a 15-2 team match record, falling only to Rocky River Magnificat and Columbus Watterson in nonconference matches.

Contact Steve Junga at: sjunga@theblade.com, or 419-724-6461 or on Twitter@JungaBlade.