Sept. 28, 2001
Notre Dame, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame women’s tennis team opened its season Friday by competing in the Georgia Invitational in Athens, Ga. The Irish also sent two players to the adidas Invitational in Palm Springs, Calif. Play continues tomorrow in the Bulldog Invitational as Notre Dame will face national semifinalist Georgia (doubles only) at 8:30 a.m. and Kansas State at 1:00 p.m.
Sophomores Alicia Salas (Engelwood, Colo.) and Emily Neighbours (Indianapolis, Ind.) each won singles matches and teamed up to split two doubles matches for Notre Dame. Salas beat Sihem Bennacer of Miami 6-3, 6-1, while Neighbours downed another Hurricane, Sara Robbins 6-3, 6-1. In doubles, Salas and Neighbours beat Kansas State’s team of Paulina Castillejos and Hayley McIver 8-4.
Freshman Sarah Jane Connelly (Oklahoma City, Okla.) had a successful collegiate debut in singles, beating Miami’s Jessica Pelto 6-2, 6-2. The 23rd-ranked doubles team of seniors Lindsey Green (El Cajon, Calif.) and Becky Varnum (Colorado Springs, Colo.) recorded a victory over Kansas State’s Andrea Cooper and Alena Jecminkova 8-5.
Singles
Mari Toro (Miami) d. #48 Becky Varnum (ND) 6-1, 6-2
Marcy Hora (M) d. Lindsey Green (ND) 6-1, 6-1
Alicia Salas (ND) d. Sihem Bennacer (M) 6-3, 6-1
Staci Stevens (M) d. Katie Cunha (ND) 6-2, 6-2
Sarah Jane Connelly (ND) d. Jessica Pelto (M) 6-2, 6-2
Emily Neighbours (ND) d. Sara Robbins (M) 6-3, 6-1
Abby Smith (M) d. Maggie Donohue (ND) 7-5, 6-0
Igna de Villiers (M) d. Michelle Hamilton (ND) 6-2, 6-3
Doubles
#23 Green/Varnum (ND) d. Andrea Cooper/Alena Jecminkova (Kansas St.) 8-5
Petra Sedlmajerova/Kathy Chuda (KS) d. Cunha/Connelly (ND) 8-4
Neighbours/Salas (ND) d. Paulina Castillejos/Hayley McIver (KS) 8-4
Toro/Hora (M) d. #23 Green/Varnum (ND) 8-5
Stevens/Bennacer (M) d. Connelly/Cunha (ND) 8-6
Pelto/Robbins (M) d. Neighbours/Salas (ND) 8-5
de Villiers/Smith (M) d. Donohue/Hamilton (ND) 9-7