March 10, 2001

NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The eighth-ranked Notre Dame women’s tennis team swept the doubles point and lost just two sets in six singles matches to blank 58th-ranked Michigan 7-0 on Saturday at the Eck Tennis Pavilion. Irish junior Nina Vaughan — playing her first match since earning her first Intercollegiate Tennis Association singles rankings at 99th — clinched the win for the Irish with a 6-1, 6-0 victory at No. 3 singles over Jennifer Vaughn. Notre Dame improves to 11-3 with its seventh straight win over Michigan. The Irish travel to Miami for spring break and will return to action with matches vs. the Hurricanes and West Virginia on Sat., March 17.

The Irish took a 1-0 lead after winning doubles point. Sophomore Katie Cunha and senior Kimberly Guy won 8-2 at No. 2 doubles over Jennifer Duprez and Vaughn. The fourth-ranked team of senior All-American Michelle Dasso and junior Becky Varnum clinched the point with an 8-3 victory at No. 1 doubles by beating Szandra Fuzesi and Kimberly Plaushines. Juniors Lindsey Green and Nina Vaughan were 8-6 winners over Christine Nolan and Kavitha Tipmeni at No. 3 doubles.

Notre Dame dropped five games in winning singles matches in the top half of the lineup to clinch the match with a 4-0 lead. Fourth-ranked Dasso beat Tipmeni 6-1, 6-1 at No. 1 singles, while Varnum defeated Nolan 6-1, 6-1 at No. 2 singles. Vaughan trailed 0-1 in the first set but won the next 12 games in her 6-1, 6-0 victory at No. 3 singles.

Freshman Caylan Leslie beat Vaughn 6-3, 6-2 at No. 4 singles before the Irish won a pair of three-set matches. Green rallied for a 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory over Alison Sinclair at No. 6 singles, while Guy held off Joanne Musgrove 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 at No. 5 singles.

#8 NOTRE DAME 7, #59 MICHIGAN 0

Singles

No. 1: #4 Michelle Dasso (ND) def. Kavitha Tipmeni (M) 6-1, 6-1

No. 2: Becky Varnum (ND) def. Christine Nolan (M) 6-1, 6-1

No. 3: #99 Nina Vaughan (ND) def. Szandra Fuzesi (M) 6-1, 6-0

No. 4: Caylan Leslie (ND) def. Jennifer Vaughn (M) 6-3, 6-2

No. 5: Kimberly Guy (ND) def. Joanne Musgrove (M) 6-1, 4-6, 6-4

No. 6: Lindsey Green (ND) def. Alison Sinclair (M) 3-6, 6-1, 6-2

Doubles

No. 1: #8 Dasso/Varnum (ND) def. Fuzesi/Kimberly Plaushines (M) 8-3

No. 2: Katie Cunha/Guy (ND) def. Jennifer Duprez/Vaughn (M) 8-2

No. 3: Green/Vaughan (ND) def. Nolan/Tipmeni (M) 8-6