May 13, 2001

NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The eighth-ranked and 13th-seeded Notre Dame women’s tennis team claimed a close doubles point and won three singles matches to defeat 51st-ranked Tulane 4-0 on Sunday in the NCAA second round at the Courtney Tennis Center. The Irish advance to the NCAA round of 16 at the Lincoln Tennis Center in Stone Mountain, Ga., where they will meet fourth-seeded Florida on Thursday for the second consecutive year. Notre Dame continues its best season under 12th-year head coach Jay Louderback and improves to 25-4. Tulane ends its season with a 14-12 record.

Notre Dame rallied to win the doubles point after trailing 6-4 at both Nos. 2 and 3 doubles. The seventh-ranked doubles team of senior All-American Michelle Dasso and junior Becky Varnum began the doubles point by winning their 21st consecutive match. The pair defeated Joyce Bergman and Julie Morris 8-1 at No. 1 doubles after winning the final eight games of the set after trailing 0-1 and saving a break point in the second game. Juniors Lindsey Green and Nina Vaughan rallied from 0-5 to win nine of the final 11 games with a point-clinching 9-7 victory over Maiko Cook and Nancy Kockott at No. 3 doubles. No. 2 doubles was abandoned with Tulane serving at 7-7.

Any suspense in the match ended with the doubles competition as the Irish dropped just seven games in winning three singles matches to clinch the 4-0 victory. Senior Kimberly Guy improved to 11-0 at home in dual singles matches, as she beat Anneli Axsater 6-0, 6-1 at No. 6 singles. Green then made it 3-0 when she defeated Cook 6-1, 6-2 at No. 5 singles. Vaughan ended the match with her 6-0, 6-3 win over Bergman at No. 3 singles for the fourth Irish point of the match.

In Notre Dame’s previous four trips to the NCAA national site, the Irish won opening round matches before losing in the final 16 to Stanford both in 1993 and 1994, lost to Stanford in 1996 quarterfinals and lost to Florida in the 2000 round of 16. Notre Dame’s 25 wins this season stand as the most for the Irish at the NCAA Division I level and the most since the 1986 team went 28-6. The Irish extend their winning streak to 10 straight matches. Dasso finishes with a 31-match singles winning streak at home and a 42-2 home dual singles record.

#8 NOTRE DAME 4, #51 TULANE 0

Singles

No. 1: #3 Michelle Dasso (ND) vs. #22 Anna Monhartova (T) 6-2, 3-2, abandoned

No. 2: #85 Becky Varnum (ND) vs. Julie Morris (T) 6-2, 2-6, abandoned

No. 3: #91 Nina Vaughan (ND) def. Joyce Bergman (T) 6-0, 6-3

No. 4: Caylan Leslie (ND) vs. Nancy Kockott (T) 5-7, 4-1, abandoned

No. 5: Lindsey Green (ND) def. Maiko Cook (T) 6-1, 6-2

No. 6: Kimberly Guy (ND) def. Anneli Axsater (T) 6-0, 6-1

Doubles

No. 1: #7 Dasso/Varnum (ND) def. Bergman/Morris (T) 8-1

No. 2: Katie Cunha/Guy (ND) vs. Axsater/Monhartova (T) 7-7, abandoned

No. 3: Green/Vaughan (ND) def. Cook/Kockott (T) 9-7