March 3, 2001

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The fifth-ranked Notre Dame women’s tennis team won the doubles point and then won five of six singles matches to beat host and 21st-ranked Ohio State 6-1 on Saturday. Senior All-American Michelle Dasso led the Irish once again with wins at No. 1 singles and doubles. Notre Dame improves to 11-3 with the win and returns to action on Saturday with a home match vs. Michigan.

Dasso teamed with junior Becky Varnum as the seventh-ranked Irish pair beat the Buckeye’s 32nd-ranked duo of Kristy Dascoli and Monica Rincon 8-5 for the second time this season. Dasso and Varnum won their second consecutive Midwest region doubles title with a victory over Dascoli and Rincon in November. Sophomore Katie Cunha and senior Kimberly Guy won at No. 2 doubles, while juniors Lindsey Green and Nina Vaughan won at No. 3 doubles.

The Irish won four singles matches in straight sets to clinch the win over the Buckeyes. Third-ranked Dasso beat 31st-ranked Dascoli 6-2, 6-4 at No. 1 singles, while freshman Leslie won 6-3, 6-1 over Erica Fisk at No. 4 singles. Guy beat Claudia Castro 6-3, 7-6 at No. 5 singles, while Green beat Laura Maloney 7-6, 7-4 at No. 6 singles.

The Irish and Buckeyes split a pair of three-set matches at Nos. 2 and 3 singles. Ohio State’s 88th-ranked Monica Rincon rallied for a 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 win over Varnum at No. 2, while Vaughan rallied for a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 win over Sadhaf Pervez at No. 3 singles.

#5 NOTRE DAME 6, #21 OHIO STATE 1

Singles

No. 1: #3 Michelle Dasso (ND) def #31 Kristy Dascoli (OSU) 6-2, 6-4

No. 2: #88 Monica Rincon (OSU) def. Becky Varnum (ND) 1-6, 6-3, 6-3

No. 3: Nina Vaughan (ND) def. Sadhaf Pervez (OSU) 4-6, 6-4, 6-2

No. 4: Caylan Leslie (ND) def. Erica Fisk (OSU) 6-3, 6-1

No. 5: Kimberly Guy (ND) def. Claudia Castro (OSU) 6-3, 7-6 (3)

No. 6: Lindsey Green (ND) def. Laura Maloney (OSU) 7-6, 6-4

Doubles

No. 1: #7 Dasso/Varnum (ND) def. #32 Dascoli/Rincon (OSU) 8-5

No. 2: Katie Cunha/Guy (ND) def. Maloney/Pervez (OSU) 8-3

No. 3: Green/Vaughan (ND) def. Castro/Fisk (OSU) 8-4