Match by match, sophomore Emina Bektas is proving why she's Michigan’s best tennis player. Not once was Bektas broken in singles or doubles against Notre Dame, crushing each opponent she faced. Led by Bektas, Michigan played strong and aggressive tennis to triumph over the Fighting Irish, 5-2.

But wins versus Notre Dame are never easy, especially considering the Fighting Irish had a big crowd on Wednesday in South Bend to heighten the pressure.

“They’re one of our biggest rivals, and South Bend is always a tough place to play,” said Michigan coach Ronni Bernstein. “Ranked or unranked, they always present problems.”

The 10th-ranked Wolverines have found success when they win the doubles point. Specifically, Michigan (3-0 Big Ten, 12-3 overall) has won its last five doubles points, leading to five match victories.

“It’s just one point, but it’s big momentum-wise,” Bernstein said.

Because No. 16 Notre Dame (11-6) carries a strong singles lineup, doubles became even more crucial.

The Wolverines looked no further than their top pair of Bektas and junior Brooke Bolender. The pair has proven to be a terror on the court and has been described by Bernstein as a “brick wall” at the net. After earning an early break, the nation’s second-ranked pair showed its talent and became unbreakable. Bolender and Bektas used their aggressive net play and powerful serves to their advantage to cruise to an 8-4 victory.

Needing one more win to clinch the point, freshman Ronit Yurovsky and sophomore Sarah Lee took it upon themselves to clinch it. Suffering an early break, the pair needed to use clever return placement and play fundamental tennis. And, with that, the pair broke back and went on to earn another break and a comfortable lead. Yurovsky and Lee held their lead to earn an 8-6 victory.

As good as Bektas was in the doubles match, the sophomore perhaps played the best match of her life in singles play. After suffering a loss to Notre Dame’s Brittany Sanders during the fall season, Bektas had reason to view the match as revenge. With all of her shots falling, Bektas demolished Sanders, 6-1, 6-1, putting even more pressure on the Fighting Irish.

“This is probably the best match I’ve seen her play in every aspect,” Bernstein said. “She came in a ton and was super aggressive. She got off the court fast, and it was huge.”

Added Bektas: “I came out and wanted revenge. I definitely know the player I am and went out there with the confidence that I wasn’t going let her beat me up. I was lucky to play that well and get the point for us.”

Feeding off of Bektas’s win, Yurovsky earned a dominating victory. With perhaps the strongest serve on the team, the freshman is tough to break. Grinding out the tough points, Yurovsky earned a 6-2, 6-3 win.

After Michigan suffered a loss at the third spot, freshman Amy Zhu stepped up to the plate. Despite surrendering the first set, Zhu bounced back, winning 3-6, 6-4, 6-0.

“I just had to forget what happened in the first set because it wasn’t going my way,” Zhu said. “In the second and third set, I just had to keep her moving and had to play more offensively.”

Bolender rounded out the victories for the Wolverines, by winning a three-set match of her own.

The Wolverines have now won seven matches in a row and are showing that they’re the team to beat in the Big Ten.

Beating a tough, ranked Notre Dame will certainly be a confidence boost for the Wolverines, especially knowing Bektas is at the top of her game.