ND Women's Tennis: Irish nearly perfect in pair of home victories
By: COLIN BOYLAN
Sports Writer
The Notre Dame women's tennis team didn't have to wait very long to jump out to their first 2-0 start since the 1998 season.
Saturday at the Eck Tennis Pavilion, the Irish hosted season-opening matches against Illinois State and Northern Iowa and won both contests by a final score of 6-1.
Although he anticipates a great deal of success for this season's squad, head coach Jay Louderback was pleasantly surprised by how quickly the team was able to shake off the rust from its winter layoff.
"I thought we played very well, especially for the first two matches," said Louderback. "It's tough when you have to play two in one day and I thought we really showed some toughness out there."
The Irish finished off their morning opponent, 59th-ranked Illinois State in quick fashion. All three doubles teams posted solid wins to earn the doubles point convincingly.
Seniors Becky Varnum and Lindsey Green provided a highlight when they earned a tight 9-7 victory against Alesia Mikalayeva and Liina Suurvarik, who had beaten the Irish in preseason play.
"I think that victory gave us a lot momentum," said Louderback.
From that point on, the Irish made quick work of their opponent in singles competition, winning five out of six matches and not allowing any match to last longer than two sets.
The Irish carried that momentum into their afternoon match against Northern Iowa, where the team once again rattled off five of six singles victories to clinch the match before doubles play even began.
When all the dust had settled, sophomore Alicia Salas had emerged as the surprising hero of the day's competition. The No. 5 singles player thoroughly dominated her opponents in singles play winning by scores of 6-0, 6-0 and 6-1, 6-0 respectively. Meanwhile, she posted two convincing doubles wins while partnering with Varnum and Nina Vaughan.
"Alicia has been playing really well," said Louderback. "She's shown huge improvement over last year and is going to be a very big factor in our success this year."
Equally impressive was the quality of depth the Irish boasted in singles play. At the four, five and six singles spots, Katie Cunha, Salas and Sarah Jane Connelly all swept their opponents without dropping more than four games in any one set.
Louderback believes that this depth will make the Irish difficult to beat when tougher competition comes to town.
About the only blemish in the team's weekend came in the form of some injury news concerning sophomore Caylan Leslie. Leslie, who suffered a shoulder injury over the winter, is now presumed to be out for at least three months and perhaps longer.
"It's quite possible that Caylan will out for the entire spring," said Louderback.
The Irish hope their hot streak will continue into their next match against Michigan this Wednesday. The match will be played at 5 p.m. in Ann Arbor, Mich.
All Sports Stories for Monday, January 28, 2002
