Feb. 22, 2001

The Notre Dame women’s tennis team, following its second win over a top-10 opponent this season, moved from 11th to sixth in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association poll to match its highest ranked ever. The Irish also were sixth during the 1995-96 season and ended that year sixth after reaching the NCAA quarterfinals.

The Irish traveled to Madison, Wis., last week for the United States Tennis Association/ITA Women’s National Team Indoor Championships and went 2-1 at the event, beating 40th-ranked Oklahoma State, falling to second-ranked Georgia and defeating seventh-ranked Pepperdine — moving Notre Dame’s record to 7-2. The only other loss came in a 4-3 season-opening loss to fourth-ranked Duke.

Notre Dame also defeated eighth-ranked Wake Forest on Feb. 10. The wins of the Nos. 7 and 8 ranked teams mark the highest wins for the Irish since a 5-4 win over fifth-ranked Texas in 1996 — the highest ranked opponent the Irish have ever defeated.

The Irish travel to Kansas as they meet 46th-ranked Kansas State on Friday, 44th-ranked BYU on Saturday in Lawrence and Kansas on Sunday. Three wins this weekend would give Notre Dame its best start since the 1995-96 team at 10-2. The1995-96 Irish won 17 matches before their third loss.