April 4, 2001
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — The eighth-ranked Notre Dame women’s tennis lost the doubles point and dropped the first set in three singles matches but rebounded to defeat host and 41st-ranked Indiana 6-1 for the sixth straight time on Wednesday. Junior Nina Vaughan rallied to beat Linda Tran 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 at No. 3 singles to clinch the win for the Irish, who improve to 18-4 with the victory. Notre Dame returns to action on at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday when it travels to 36th-ranked Illinois.
The Hoosiers started the match by claiming the doubles point with wins at Nos. 2 and 3 doubles. The fifth-ranked doubles team of senior All-American Michelle Dasso and junior Becky Varnum were 8-1 winners at No. 1 doubles to improve to 17-2 at No. 1 doubles for the Irish. Varnum then knotted the match with a 6-4, 6-0 victory at No. 2 singles to up her record to 15-4 in dual matches. Junior Lindsey Green also was a straight-set winner, as she defeated Karie Schlukebir 6-4, 6-4 at No. 5 singles.
The teams then battled through four three-set matches with the Irish prevailing in all four to sweep the singles. Freshman Caylan Leslie held off J.J. Levin 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 at No. 4 singles for a 3-1 Notre Dame lead. Vaughan then won her team leading 17th-dual match and her fifth clinching singles victory at No. 4 singles. Third-ranked Dasso came back for a 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 win at No. 1 singles to improve to 12-0 versus Midwest region opponents. Senior Kimberly Guy closed out the match with her 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 victory over Martina Grimm at No. 6 singles.
#8 NOTRE DAME 6, #41 INDIANA 1
Singles
No. 1: #3 Michelle Dasso (ND) def. Kelly Blanch (I) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4
No. 2: Becky Varnum (ND) def. Amanda Field (I) 6-4, 6-0
No. 3: Nina Vaughan (ND) def. Linda Tran (I) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
No. 4: Caylan Leslie (ND) def. J.J. Levin (I) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
No. 5: Lindsey Green (ND) def. Karie Schlukebir (I) 6-4, 6-4
No. 6: Kimberly Guy (ND) def. Martina Grimm (I) 5-7, 6-2, 6-4
Doubles
No. 1: #5 Dasso/Varnum (ND) def. Blanch/Levin (I) 8-1
No. 2: Schlukebir/Tran (I) def. Katie Cunha/Guy (ND) 8-3
No. 3: Field/Jennifer Hsia (I) def. Green/Vaughn (ND) 8-3