Feb. 17, 2001
The 11th-ranked Notre Dame women’s tennis team won the doubles point and then took five of six singles matches to beat 7th-ranked Pepperdine 6-1 on Saturday in a consolation match of the United States Tennis Association/Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Women’s Team Indoor Championships in Madison, Wis. Senior All-American Michelle Dasso won at No. 1 singles to set a new Irish school record of 123 career singles victories. Notre Dame improves to 7-2 with the win and will return to action on Feb. 23 on the road against Kansas State at 2:30 p.m.
The fifth-ranked doubles team of Dasso and junior Becky Varnum defeated the nation’s top doubles pair of Senoglu and Paola Palencia 8-5 at No. 1 doubles. Katie Cunha and Kim Guy defeated Dorothee Kurz and Maren Mueller in a tiebreaker at No. 2 doubles while Lindsey Green and Nina Vaughan completed an Irish doubles sweep by topping Anh Nguyen and Charlotte Vernaz 8-5.
Dasso’s record-breaking singles win was over 14th-ranked Ipek Senoglu 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 at No. 1 singles. She broke the previous mark of 122 wins set just last year by Kelly Zalinski.
In addition to Dasso’s win, the Irish got four other tough singles victories as five of the six matches went to three sets. Varnum upset #44 Palencia at No. 2 singles 6-3, 3-6, 6-4. Vaughn knocked off 68th-ranked Cintia Tortorella 6-2, 6-2 at number three singles and freshman Caylan Leslie won 4-6, 6-4, 5-4 (5) over Vernaz at No. 4. Junior Lindsey Green won her ninth consecutive match, defeating Nguyen 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 (6) at number six singles.
#11 NOTRE DAME 6, #7 PEPPERDINE 1
Singles
No. 1: #2 Michelle Dasso (ND) def. #14 Ipek Senoglu (P) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
No. 2: Becky Varnum (ND) def. #44 Paola Palencia (P) 6-3, 3-6, 6-4
No. 3: Nina Vaughan (ND) def. #68 Cintia Tortorella (P) 6-2, 6-2
No. 4: Caylan Leslie (ND) def. Charlotte Vernaz (P) 4-6, 6-4, 5-4 (5)
No. 5: Monika Horvath (P) def. Kimberly Guy (ND) 6-3, 2-6, 6-4
No. 6: Lindsey Green (ND) def. Anh Nguyen (P) 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 (6)
Doubles
No. 1: #5 Dasso/Varnum (ND) def. #1 Palencia/Senoglu 8-5
No. 2: Katie Cunha/Guy (ND) def. Dorothee Kurz/Maren Mueller 8-7 (5)
No. 3: Green/Vaughan (ND) def. Nguyen/Vernaz 8-5