April 22, 2000
MIAMI, Fla. — The 13th-ranked Notre Dame women’s tennis team won five singles matches to defeat fifth-seeded Seton Hall 5-0 on Saturday in the semifinals of the BIG EAST Women’s Tennis Championships at the Neil Schiff Tennis Complex in Miami, Fla. With their win, the top-seeded and defending champion Irish advance to Sunday’s championship match for the fifth time in five appearances at the event. They will meet host and second-seeded Miami in the title match for the fifth consecutive year. Notre Dame — now 21-5 on the season after the win — is 3-1 in those matches, winning in 1996, 1997 and 1999 and losing in 1998.
The Irish won five of six singles without the loss of a set to win their first-ever meeting with the Pirates. Junior All-American Michelle Dasso improved to 21-5 at No. 1 singles this year with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Pille Arike. Senior Kelly Zalinski won her school-record 119th career singles match by beating Kyli LaSalle 6-0, 6-0 at No. 3 singles. Sophomores Nina Vaughan and Lindsey Green won at Nos. 4 and 5 singles. Vaughan defeated Jasmine Wolcott 6-3, 6-2 at No. 4 singles, while Green downed Judy McAuley 6-0, 6-2 at No. 5 singles. Freshman Katie Cunha won her first singles match at the BIG EAST Championship when she defeated Morgan Whitlock 6-2, 6-0 at No. 6 singles.
Sophomore Becky Varnum led 4-3 in the second set after winning the first set 6-2 when the Notre Dame clinched the victory. The doubles also was cancelled since the outcome of the match was determined after five singles matches. Sunday’s match between the Irish and Hurricanes will be their second meeting in eight days after Notre Dame beating visiting Miami 6-3 on Sat., April 15.
#13 NOTRE DAME 5, SETON HALL 0
Singles
No. 1: #16 Michelle Dasso (ND) def. Pille Arike (SHU) 6-2, 6-2
No. 2: Becky Varnum (ND) vs. Lauren McCracken (SHU) 6-2, 4-3, abandoned
No. 3: Kelly Zalinski (ND) def. Kyli LaSalle (SHU) 6-0, 6-0
No. 4: Nina Vaughan (ND) def. Jasmine Wolcott (SHU) 6-3, 6-2
No. 5: Lindsey Green (ND) Judy McAuley (SHU) 6-0, 6-2
No. 6: Katie Cunha (ND) def. Morgan Whitlock (SHU) 6-2, 6-0
Doubles
No. 1: #27 Dasso/Varnum (ND) vs. LaSalle/McCracken (SHU) cancelled
No. 2: Green/Zalinski (ND) vs. Arike/McAuley (SHU) cancelled
No. 3 Cunha/Vaughan (ND) vs. Wolcott/Whitlock (SHU) cancelled