May 16, 2001
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NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The eighth-ranked and 13th-seeded Notre Dame women’s tennis team travels to the NCAA round of 16 for the fifth time and the second consecutive year and will take on fourth-seeded Florida at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday at the Lincoln Tennis Center in Stone Mountain, Ga. The host Irish blanked Eastern Michigan and Tulane by 4-0 scores in the first and second rounds at the Courtney Tennis Center.
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW: The 13th-seeded Irish were selected as one of 16 first- and second-round sites for the 64-team NCAA Division I Women’s Tennis Championships. In the first round at the Courtney Tennis Center, the Irish beat Eastern Michigan 4-0 on Sat., May 12, and then defeated Tulane 4-0 in the second round to reach the round of 16.
Notre Dame will be making its fifth trip to the NCAA national site and second consecutive. The Irish lost in the second round at home in 1999, in the Midwest Regional final at Illinois in 1998 and in the Midwest Regional semifinals at home in 1997. The Irish had previously advanced to the national event in 1993, 1994 and 1996, all ending in losses to Stanford. In 1993 in Gainesville, Fla., Notre Dame beat Alabama 5-0 and lost 5-0 to Stanford. The 1994 Irish traveled to Athens, Ga., and blanked UC Santa Barbara before falling 5-1 to the Cardinal. Notre Dame’s 1996 team defeated BYU 5-0 and lost to Stanford 5-1 in Tallahassee, Fla.
FLORIDA PREVIEW: The Irish and Gators will meet for the fifth time and for the second consecutive year in the NCAA championships. Florida has won all four previous meetings, winning 5-0 in the 2000 NCAA round of 16, 7-2 in the first round of the 1999 USTA/ITA National Women’s Team Indoor Championships, 7-2 in Las Vegas in 1998 and 8-0 in the first round of the 1996 USTA/ITA National Women’s Team Indoor Championships. The fifth-ranked Gators have four players ranked in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings: senior Whitney Laiho (7), junior Jessica Lehnoff (13), freshman Lindsay Dawaf (46) and sophomore Julia Scaringe (81), sister of former Irish player Sarah Scaringe (1996-2000). Laiho and Lenhoff are ranked fourth in doubles and undefeated at 27-0. Florida blanked both Bethune-Cookman and Arkansas 4-0 to reach the round of 16 with a 22-2 record.
In the 2000 NCAA round of 16, the Gators used singles wins at Nos. 2-6 for a 5-0 win. Thursday’s contest will feature the same matchups at Nos. 1 and 2 singles as last year with Irish senior Michelle Dasso meeting Gator senior Whitney Laiho and Irish junior Becky Varnum playing Gator junior Jessica Lehnoff. Dasso led Laiho 2-1 in the third set last year, while Lehnoff defeated Varnum 6-2, 6-3. Laiho defeated Dasso 6-2, 6-2 in January at the adidas College Invitational, while Notre Dame senior Kimberly Guy downed Florida freshman Annika Bengtsson 7-5, 6-2 in a flight final at the adidas College Invitational in a likely preview of Thursday’s No. 6 singles matchup.
IRISH IN THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP: Notre Dame is making its eighth appearance in the NCAA team championship in the last nine years and has an 11-7 record in its eight appearances, including trips to the NCAA final 16 last year in each of the past two years. Michelle Dasso has a 6-1 singles and 5-1 doubles record in NCAA team play, while junior Becky Varnum is 4-1 in singles and 3-0 in doubles. Junior Lindsey Green is 4-3 in singles and has a 5-1 mark in doubles. Kim Guy is 4-1 in singles and 1-0 in doubles, while Katie Cunha has a 1-1 record in singles and won her only doubles match that was completed. Freshman Caylan went 1-0 in singles over the weekend. The Irish have an 11-4 record against the other 63 teams in the NCAA field.
DASSO EARNS FOURTH NCAA SINGLES SPOT: Senior All-American Michelle Dasso will be making her fourth NCAA singles appearance, becoming the second Irish player — joining Jennifer Hall (1996-99) — under 11th-year head coach Jay Louderback to play in four NCAA singles championships. Dasso has compiled a 15-8 record against the other 63 players in the NCAA singles field. With a 35-8 record, all eight of her losses have come against NCAA qualifiers.
VARNUM EARNS SECOND NCAA DOUBLES BID: Junior Becky Varnum and second-year doubles partner Michelle Dasso, ranked seventh in the country in doubles, have earned one of 32 spots in the NCAA doubles field. Dasso will be making her third NCAA doubles appearance, while Varnum will play in her second NCAA doubles championship. The pair reached the second round of the 2000 NCAA doubles tournament. Dasso advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals in 1999 with Jennifer Hall. Varnum and Dasso have a 34-7 record in doubles and a 24-2 mark at No. 1 doubles, including 21 straight wins and a 7-3 mark against the other 31 NCAA teams.
DASSO, VARNUM EARN REGIONAL ITA AWARDS: All-American Michelle Dasso has been named the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Midwest Regional Player of the Year, and junior Becky Varnum has been selected as the ITA Player To Watch, given to the player who has an outstanding season and is expected to perform at a high level the rest of her career. The pair now are eligible for national awards which will be announced on May 20.
Dasso also has been named one of four finalists for the Honda Sports Award for the top women’s collegiate athlete in women’s tennis. The women’s tennis winner will be announced on May 21, with the overall Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year to be announced on June 11.
IRISH CLINCH BEST RECORD UNDER LOUDERBACK: Notre Dame enters the NCAA round of 16 with a 25-4 record, already guaranteeing the Irish of their best record under 12th-year head coach Jay Louderback. Three of his previous Irish squads finished 23-7 (1996, 1999 and 2000). Notre Dame already has clinched its eighth season with fewer than 10 losses in 12 seasons under Louderback.
NCAA MATCHES AT NOTRE DAME: The Irish played host to NCAA women’s tennis championships matches this weekend for the fifth consecutive year. Notre Dame was the site of the 1997 NCAA Midwest Regional when top-seeded South Carolina advanced to the final before losing to Wisconsin. The Courtney Tennis Center next played host to the 1998 NCAA championships when Florida won the NCAA championship. Notre Dame played host to first- and second-round matches in 1999 in the first year of the expanded 64-team NCAA field and once again in 2000 when the Irish defeated UIC and South Carolina to reach the round of 16 at Pepperdine.
STREAKING IRISH ENTER NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP: Notre Dame extended its winning streak to 11 consecutive matches with victories over Eastern Michigan and Tulane in the NCAA first and second rounds. Senior Michelle Dasso and junior Becky Varnum enter the Florida match with 21 straight wins, all at No. 1 doubles — a streak that began with an 8-5 win over then top-ranked Ipek Senoglu and Paola Palencia of Pepperdine on Feb. 17. They will meet Florida’s No. 1 team of Whitey Laiho and Jessica Lehnoff, who sport a 25-match winning streak with their 25-0 record. Dasso finished with a 31-match singles winning streak at home, dating back to a loss to Duke’s Vanessa Webb on Feb. 14, 1999. She boasts an overall singles mark of 48-4 at home, including 42-2 in dual matches.
DASSO, LOUDERBACK WIN BIG EAST AWARDS: Senior Michelle Dasso was named the BIG EAST championship most outstanding player for the second consecutive year after leading the Irish to their second straight and fourth BIG EAST title in six years in the league. Irish head coach Jay Louderback was named BIG EAST coach of the year for the fifth time in Notre Dame’s six years in the conference and for the third straight year.
DASSO WINS O’CONNOR AWARD: Senior captain Michelle Dasso was awarded Notre Dame’s Francis Patrick O’Connor Award last week at the annual All-Sports Banquet. The award is presented upon nomination of head coaches and is given to one male and one female student-athlete who best display the total embodiment of the true spirit of Notre Dame as exemplified by their contributions and inspiration to their teams and possess such characteristics as caring, courage, confidence, encouragement, humility, honesty, humor, kindness and patience. Men’s soccer senior Reggie McKnight won the men’s award, while leprechaun Michael Brown was awarded a special O’Connor Award for his contributions. Dasso is the fourth women’s tennis player and second straight to win the award, joining 2000 winner Kelly Zalinski, 1996 winner Holyn Lord and 1994 winner Christy Faustman.
HEAD COACH JAY LOUDERBACK: Jay Louderback is in his 12th year as head coach of the Irish, compiling a 225-103 (.686) record at Notre Dame and a career mark of 429-278 (.607) in 22 seasons of coaching. His 2001, 2000 and 1999 teams both won 23 dual matches, matching his ’95 Irish for Notre Dame’s most wins at the NCAA Division I level, while the win over Eastern Michigan marked the most ever for a Louderback-coached team. He has guided the Irish to NCAA championship appearances in eight of the last nine years, including a national quarterfinal appearance in 1996 and round of 16 showings in 1993, 1994, 2000 and 2001. His teams have finished among the top 20 teams in the country in six of the last eight years and in the top 30 in all but two of his years at Notre Dame. The Arkansas City, Kan., native, and 1976 graduate of Wichita State has been named the ITA regional coach of the year three times (1995, 1996, 2000) and has been named BIG EAST coach of the year in five of the last six seasons. His Notre Dame players have won 10 All-America honors in his 11 years.
ITA RANKINGS: The Irish stand eighth among the 75 teams ranked by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association after a preseason ranking of 13th. Senior All-American Michelle Dasso is ranked third in singles and 20th in doubles with Becky Varnum, after climbing to career-highs of second in singles and fifth in doubles. Varnum and junior Nina Vaughan are ranked 85th and 91st, respectively, in singles.
20-WIN SEASONS: The Irish have reached the 20-win plateau for the fourth consecutive season and for the fifth time in the last six years. Notre Dame went 23-7 the last two years, matching the 1996 team for the best record for the Irish under head coach Jay Louderback and at the NCAA Division I level, and would surpass those seasons with a win over Eastern Michigan.
DASSO IN DUAL MATCHES: Senior All-American Michelle Dasso enters the Florida match as one of the top singles players in dual matches during the Jay Louderback era at Notre Dame. She has compiled a record of 91-15 (.858) during her three-plus seasons at mostly No. 1 singles.
VARNUM SHAKES OFF SLOW START: After beginning the fall with five losses and standing 3-8 on Jan. 26, junior Becky Varnum has posted a 21-3 record since. Her only losses in that time have come to Georgia’s Lori Grey, Ohio State’s Monica Rincon and Tennessee’s Kim Gates. Of her 21 wins during that hot streak, 17 have come in straight sets. Varnum reentered the singles rankings prior to the BIG EAST championship at 95th and enters the Eastern Michigan match ranked 85th in the country. She enters the Florida match with a 20-4 dual singles record at mostly No. 2 singles (one win at No. 1). Varnum posted a 23-6 record at No. 4 singles as a freshman before compiling a 16-12 mark after moving up to No. 2 singles as a sophomore last year.
FORMER HIGH SCHOOL TEAMMATES SOLIDIFY HEART OF LINEUP: Junior Nina Vaughan and freshman Caylan Leslie, who both played tennis at Corona del Mar High School (Calif.) have combined for a 39-11 dual singles record. Vaughan went 19-9 at No. 4 singles last year in her first full year in the lineup and has an 18-5 mark at No. 3 singles this year with a team-high 21 dual singles wins (one win at No. 1 singles and two at No. 2). She sports a 4-2 record vs. ranked opponents and earned her first-ever national ranking this season, currently ranked 91st in singles. Leslie has stepped into the lineup this season as a freshman and compiled a 16-6 mark at No. 4 singles — posting wins against Pepperdine, Wake Forest, North Carolina, BYU, Kentucky and Miami (Fla.) among her 16 victories.
DASSO HAVING “GRAND” SEASON: Senior All-American Michelle Dasso has played in all three ITA collegiate grand slam events this season — and has qualified for the fourth, the NCAA singles championship — and has reached at least the quarterfinals each time. In the first grand slam of the season at the T. Rowe Price National Intercollegiate Clay Court Championships in September, Dasso became the first Irish women’s tennis player to reach a grand slam final. She won four three-set matches to gain a berth in the title match before falling to Wake Forest’s Bea Bielik.
Dasso upset Washington’s third-seeded Kristina Kraszewski in the first round of the Riviera All-American Championships in October before falling in the quarterfinals. She won three matches to earn a spot in the semifinals of the Rolex National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships before losing to eventual champion Laura Granville from Stanford. Dasso and Varnum also reached the doubles semifinals.
IRISH SWEEP ITA MIDWEST TITLES: Michelle Dasso and Becky Varnum successfully defended their ITA Midwest doubles title in November by sweeping through five rounds. In a battle between top-10 teams, seventh-ranked Dasso and Varnum beat Ohio State’s eighth-ranked Kristy Dascoli and Monica Rincon 8-3 in the final. They won the 1999 title in similar fashion as a first-time doubles pair with a win over another Dascoli led team in the final.
In addition to picking up her second doubles crown, Dasso took home her second regional singles title with six straight-set wins. She beat Dascoli 6-2, 7-6 in final to win her first Midwest singles crown since she won six matches in four days as a freshman.
IRISH IN TOP 10: The Irish made an extended return to the top 10 of the ITA rankings for the first time since the 1996 season when Notre Dame was ranked as high as sixth and spent most of the season ranked eighth on its way to reaching the NCAA quarterfinals. The Irish also were eighth in the preseason in 1997 but did not play a match as a top-10 team and were 10th in one poll in 1999. Since finishing tied for fifth at the United States Tennis Association/ITA National Team Indoor Championships in February, Notre Dame has been ranked a program-best fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth and enters the NCAA championships ranked eighth.
DASSO REWRITES RECORDBOOK: Michelle Dasso’s name will be hard to miss in the Notre Dame record book. She will leave Notre Dame with career wins record in singles (136), doubles (107) and combined wins (243), while her combined season victories in her senior year total 69 (35 singles, 34, doubles) entering the Florida match. These 69 wins broke her own school record of 64 that she set as a freshmen when she won a school-record 40 singles matches. That 40-win record also could be in jeopardy with Dasso’s 35-8 singles record this year.
VARNUM BREAKS 20-YEAR-OLD RECORD: One record Michelle Dasso probably will not break, the single-season mark for most doubles wins, stood for 20 years — the second longest standard in the Irish recordbook — until junior Becky Varnum won 36 matches this season to surpass the 32 doubles victories by Pam Fischette in 1981. Varnum has a 24-2 record at No. 1 doubles with Dasso and won all but two of her 36 matches with Dasso. Varnum went 2-0 with freshman Emily Neighbours at the Colorado Invitational to notch two more doubles wins this season than Dasso.
IRISH BOAST SOLID LINEUP: Only three teams have beaten the Irish singles lineup in 2001: Tennessee, Georgia and Northwestern. The Irish have split six matches with Duke, Illinois and Kansas State and have won at least four singles matches in 21 of 27 matches (not including Eastern Michigan and Tulane matches that were abandoned at 4-0). Overall, the Irish are 127-32 (.799) in singles in dual matches and have won at least 20 matches in five of six positions in the singles lineup.
Notre Dame has won the doubles point in 23 of 29 matches, losing the point to Indiana, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, Western Michigan and Duke. The Irish have a 3-3 record when losing the doubles point and a 22-1 mark when winning the doubles point.