March 24, 1999
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The 13th-ranked Notre Dame women’s tennis team dropped just one set in six singles matches and swept the doubles for a 9-0 win over Michigan on Wednesday at the Eck Tennis Pavilion. The win marks Notre Dame’s 15th straight over Midwest regional opponents, a streak dating back to 1997. The Irish now have beaten Michigan five consecutive times and for the eighth time in the last nine meetings. Irish senior Marisa Velasco rallied from 1-4 and 3-5 deficits in the first set to beat Szandra Fuzesi 7-6 (4), 6-1 at No. 3 singles to clinch the win.
Notre Dame improves to 11-5 with the win while Michigan falls to 3-8 with their fifth consecutive loss. The Irish return to court when they travel to 12th-ranked Tennessee on Sat., March 27, at 12:00 p.m.
Junior Kelly Zalinski and freshman Lindsey Green put Notre Dame ahead 2-0 with two quick wins. Zalinski beat Jennifer Vaughn 6-3, 6-1 at No. 5 singles, while Green beat Alison Sinclair 6-2, 6-2 at No. 6 singles.
Irish sophomore and eighth-ranked Michelle Dasso held on for a 6-2, 6-4 win over 97th-ranked Danielle Lund at No. 1 singles. Dasso led 5-0 in the second set but Lund, who won the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Midwest Region singles title at Notre Dame in November, rallied and served at 4-5 before Dasso broke serve for the win. Senior Jennifer Hall, ranked 61st, fought off a tough second set to beat Brooke Hart 6-1, 7-6 (7-5) at No. 2 singles.
After Velasco clinched the win for the Irish, 56th-ranked Irish freshman Becky Varnum rallied for a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over Jennifer Boylan to complete the singles sweep. Varnum held off 15-40 in each of her final two service games to close out the match.
In doubles, the eighth-ranked Irish team of Hall and Dasso beat 24th-ranked Hart and Lund 8-3 at No. 1 singles to improve to 17-6. Varnum and Velasco beat Boylan and Vaughn 8-2 at No. 2 doubles. Kim Guy and Sarah Scaringe won the final four games to complete the win with an 8-3 victory over Fuzesi and Sinclair at No. 3 doubles.
#13 NOTRE DAME 9, MICHIGAN 0
Singles
No. 1: #8 Michelle Dasso (ND) def. #97 Danielle Lund (UM) 6-2, 6-4No. 2: #61 Jennifer Hall (ND) def. Brooke Hart (UM) 6-1, 7-6 (5)No. 3: Marisa Velasco (ND) def. Szandra Fuzesi (UM) 7-6 (4), 6-1No. 4: #56 Becky Varnum (ND) def. Jennifer Boylan (UM) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4No. 5: Kelly Zalinski (ND) def. Jennifer Vaughn (UM) 6-3, 6-1No. 6: Lindsey Green (ND) def. Alison Sinclair (UM) 6-2, 6-2
Doubles
No. 1: #8 Dasso/Hall (ND) def. #24 Hart/Lund (UM) 8-3No. 2: Varnum/Velasco (ND) def. Boylan/Vaughn (UM) 8-2No. 3: Kim Guy/Sarah Scaringe (ND) def. Fuzesi/Sinclair 8-3