Komal Safdar and Amanda Rodgers were in position to get the critical doubles point for their team against Notre Dame. The veteran duo jumped out to a 4-0 lead following their aggressive game plan early on in the match.

But the Fighting Irish ignited a comeback by responding with an offensive attack that Syracuse was unable to defend.

And that left the Orange and its fan base stunned by Notre Dame’s turnaround, which proved to be the difference maker on Saturday.

“I think they got a little more aggressive in the second half of that doubles match,” Syracuse interim head coach Shelley George said, “and we just didn’t close on a few of the points.”

After defeating Wake Forest in convincing fashion Friday, No. 69 Syracuse (5-14, 5-9 Atlantic Coast) lost 4-3 No. 24 Notre Dame (14-9, 8-6) at Drumlins Tennis Club on Saturday. The Orange couldn’t capture the crucial doubles point as Rodgers and Safdar lost 8-6 to Mary Closs and Molly O’Koniewski.

Early on, SU’s veteran duo built on the momentum sustained from the doubles victory over Wake Forest. Rodgers was effective by using her aggressive serves to earn a four-game advantage.

She understood how critical it was for her team to earn this victory against a ranked opponent.

“It’s important for us to win the doubles point,” Rodgers said. “For me and Komal, it’s important to just stay aggressive during the entire match from start to finish.”

During an intermission, Notre Dame head coach Jay Louderback reminded Closs and O’Koniewski how this doubles match was a must-win due to the success that Syracuse was sustaining on the other doubles courts. It was a wakeup call for them to begin imposing their will on Rodgers and Safdar during the match.

Immediately, Closs and O’Koniewski responded with an aggressive style of play that Rodgers and Safdar couldn’t replicate. It was evident that the Fighting Irish were gaining confidence by becoming aggressive and trimming the lead to 4-3.

Rodgers and Safdar were unable to create the same effort on offense from early in the match. That allowed Notre Dame to eventually earn a 5-4 lead, which put Syracuse in a difficult spot for the remainder of the match.

“I felt like we took our foot off the gas pedal a little bit,” Rodgers said. “I felt like we thought too much about the result.”

While the Orange attempted to complete an impressive comeback, Notre Dame kept up its aggressive pace and ultimately put itself in position to end the match on its own terms. As Closs and O’Koniewski built a 7-6 lead, they secured the victory in a timely fashion.

The Syracuse crowd erupted as Maddie Kobelt and Valeria Salazar completed a resounding 8-5 victory over the tenth-best doubles pairing in the country.

But the excitement from the home crowd didn’t last too long.

Seconds later, Closs and O’Koniewski delivered the victory to give Notre Dame the doubles point, and provide the Irish with the last laugh on Senior Day.

Safdar recognized the lost opportunity, and attributed the loss to a lack of execution.

Said Safdar: “It comes down to the pressure points. It was honestly the difference of one or two points that they took from us.”

Published on April 20, 2014 at 7:29 pm