April 11, 2001
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The seventh-ranked Notre Dame women’s tennis swept the doubles and won four singles matches in straight sets to beat Purdue 6-1 and record its fourth straight 20-win season and fifth in the last six years. Senior All-American Michelle Dasso won her 102nd career doubles match to break the 15-year old Irish school record in her final regular-season home match. Notre Dame improved to 20-4 with the win — its 12th straight over Purdue — and continues its best start under 14th-year head coach Jay Louderback. The Irish close out their regular season with a 3:30 p.m. match at Wisconsin on Mon., April 16.
The Irish took a 1-0 lead into the singles competition after winning all three doubles matches. Juniors Lindsey Green and Nina Vaughan won 8-1 at No. 3 doubles before the fifth-ranked team of Dasso and junior Becky Varnum won 8-4 at No. 1 doubles to clinch the point. The first-time team of freshman Alicia Salas and Kimberly Guy completed the doubles sweep with an 8-3 win at No. 2.
After finishing last in doubles, Guy was the first off in singles with her 6-1, 6-4 victory over Lynsey Fick at No. 6 singles. Dasso made it 3-0 when she beat Melissa Iqbal 6-4, 6-2 at No. 1 singles. Freshman Caylan Leslie then clinched the win with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Missy Wright at No. 4 singles. Varnum held off Melissa Woods 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 at No. 2 singles for a 5-0 lead, before Green defeated Lisa Walgenbach 7-6, 7-5 at No. 5 singles for a 6-0 Irish advantage. Purdue’s only point came at No. 4 singles when Gretchen Haynor beat Vaughan in a match tiebreaker after they split the first two sets. Haynor outlasted Vaughan 7-6, 3-6, 1-0 (18-16) after Vaughan saved seven match points in the match tiebreaker and Haynor saved three.
Dasso passed former Irish great Susie Panther for the most career doubles victories. Panther won 101 doubles matches during her career from 1982-86. Dasso also owns school records for singles victories (133) and combined singles and doubles wins (234).
#7 NOTRE DAME 6, PURDUE 1
Singles
No. 1: #4 Michelle Dasso (ND) def. Melissa Iqbal (P) 6-4, 6-2
No. 2: Becky Varnum (ND) def. Melissa Woods (P) 6-1, 4-6, 6-3
No. 3: Gretchen Haynor (P) def. #100 Nina Vaughan (ND) 7-6, 3-6, 1-0 (18-16)
No. 4: Caylan Leslie (ND) def. Missy Wright (P) 6-4, 6-2
No. 5: Lindsey Green (ND) def. Lisa Walgenbach (P) 7-6, 7-5
No. 6: Kimberly Guy (ND) def. Lynsey Fick (P) 6-1, 6-4
Doubles
No. 1: #5 Dasso/Varnum (ND) def. Woods/Wright (P) 8-4
No. 2: Guy/Alicia Salas (ND) def. Fick/Iqbal (P) 8-3
No. 3: Green/Vaughan (ND) def. Haynor/Walgenbach (P) 8-1