After dominating the courts for six straight matches, Northwestern fell for the first time in more than a month as No. 2 Notre Dame edged No. 9 NU 4-3 Wednesday in South Bend, Ind.

Despite the team loss, freshman Georgia Rose played two solid matches, starting with the only doubles win at No. 2 with doubles partner sophomore Alexis Conill.

The Fighting Irish took an early lead, as they snagged two of the three doubles matches to take the doubles point.

Notre Dame’s fourth-ranked power duo of Catrina and Christian Thompson ousted NU seniors Cristelle Grier and Feriel Esseghir at No. 1 singles 8-4.

The doubles team of freshman Nazlie Ghazal and senior Jamie Peisel lost at No. 3 doubles 8-5, leaving the doubles point for the Irish.

In singles Notre Dame continued its success, as Esseghir lost at No. 5 singles 6-3, 6-0 and Peisel fell at No. 4, 6-3, 6-1.

Ghazal kept the Cats alive with her 6-3, 6-2 victory at No. 6, but Notre Dame’s Brook Buck sealed the match for the Fighting Irish when she beat junior Alexis Prousis 6-3, 6-3 at No. 3 singles.

Despite the team’s loss, the two remaining singles players fared well for the Cats.

Grier went on to top Notre Dame’s Catrina Thompson 6-2, 6-3 and Rose held on to her string of singles victories as she snagged her 21st consecutive win, beating Christian Thompson in three sets 6-2, 3-6, 1-0 (10-8) at No. 2 singles.

With the win against Notre Dame, Rose is now just seven singles victories away from reaching Grier’s school record of 28 consecutive singles victories.

NU fell to 13-4 with the loss, but remains 5-0 in the Big Ten.

The Cats resume conference play this weekend when they travel to Minnesota for a match on Saturday against the Golden Gophers, followed by a trip to Iowa City to tackle the Hawkeyes on Sunday.

Reach Diane Yamazaki at [email protected].