Sept. 24, 2000

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — The Notre Dame women’s tennis team won three of the four singles flights and lost in the final of the other in the opening tournament of the season. Freshman Caylan Leslie and Emily Neighbours and junior Berica Day each won straight-sets title matches on Sunday, while freshman Alicia Salas lost in the final. The Irish return to action when they play host to the Eck Classic Sept. 29-Oct. 1 at the Courtney Tennis Center.

Leslie — the sixth-highest ranked freshman in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association preseason national rankings at No. 83 — won the Flight A singles draw with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Maryland’s Delila Causevic, who beaten Irish junior Lindsey Green in a tight three-set match on Saturday in the semifinals. Leslie did not drop a set as she began her collegiate career with four wins. After winning a pair of three-set matches leading up to the B Flight final, Salas fell 6-2, 6-4 to William & Mary’s Nina Kamp.

Neighbours also made a successful collegiate debut as won the C Flight without losing a set. She beat Syracuse’s Katie Thompson 6-1, 6-2 in Sunday’s final. Day — who entered her junior season with a 4-9 career singles record matched that win total with her 4-0 performance this weekend in the D Flight. Day won 6-4, 7-5 over Syracuse’s Jessica Schlosser to cap off her perfect weekend.

Singles Results

Flight A final: Caylan Leslie (ND) def. Delila Causevic (Maryland) 6-4, 6-4

Flight B final: Nina Kamp (William & Mary) def. Alicia Salas (ND) 6-2, 6-4

Flight C final: Emily Neighbours (ND) def. Katie Thompson (Syracuse) 6-1, 6-2

Flight D final: Berica Day (ND) def. Jessica Schlosser (Syracuse) 6-4, 7-5