Irish serve up impressive 9-0 victory over Bulldogs
By KEVIN BERCHOU
Sports Writer
The Notre Dame women's tennis team continued its winning ways as it served up an impressive 9-0 victory over Yale Saturday.
A dominant singles squad dropped just one set in caging the Bulldogs, who were clearly overwhelmed.
"I thought we played very well," Irish head coach Jay Louderback said. "We'd been practicing for weeks, and everyone was really ready to go."
The Irish received contributions from several unexpected sources in a victory that demonstrated the team's sizable depth. In an effort to comply with NCAA regulations which limit the number of matches players can take part in, Louderback chose to rest some of his big guns against the Bulldogs, a relatively weak opponent.
With senior captain Kelly Zalinski and sophomore standout Becky Varnum sitting this one out, Louderback turned to freshman Katie Cunha, who did not disappoint.
Cunha, playing in her first singles match, rallied for a hard-fought 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 victory in No. 5 singles over Yale's Elizabeth Oosterhuis.
"Katie played great for us," Louderback said. "She got down early but didn't panic. She got that first win and that's always the toughest."
While Cunha's solid play proved to be instrumental in gaining the upper hand, the Irish also saw several other players shine brilliantly. Junior All-American Michelle Dasso, coming off a recent shoulder injury, seemed to have regained some of her old spark as she dismantled Yale's Cynthia Obsitnik in No. 1 singles in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2.
"She's really playing well," said Louderback of Dasso. "Her opponent was really a strong player. Now I think it's just a matter of getting some more matches under her belt before she's all the way back from that injury."
Nina Vaughan, Lindsey Green, Kim Guy and Sarah Scaringe also got into the act of dominance. Each netted impressive straight-set victories over their Bulldog counterparts. Vaughan scored an easy victory in No. 2 singles over the Bulldogs' Andrea Goldberg 6-1, and 6-4, while Green had an equally easy go at it, besting Yale's Elizabeth Kaufman 6-1, 6-3.
Guy's booming serve and formidable baseline game allowed her to quickly dispatch of Yale's Ashlee Ferlito 6-1, 6-3, before Sarah Scaringe slammed the door with a straight-set win over Yale's Kristen Gross.
With the singles battles having already decided the match's outcome, the doubles play was a mere formality. That fact, however, did not stop the Irish from pummeling the Bulldogs in each of the three doubles clashes. The tandem of Cunha and Guy buried the Bulldog pairing of Kaufman and Obsitnik by a score of 8-3, while the coupling of Dasso and Vaughan pummeled Yale's offering of Goldberg and Oosterhuis, 8-5.
"Our doubles were strong again," Louderback said. "I think they'll continue to be the strength of out team."
Notre Dame will look to continue its fine play, on the heels of Saturday's emphatic win over Yale, when they take to the courts next weekend to compete in the Rolex National Indoor Championships in Dallas, Tex., an event which serves as the third leg of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association collegiate grand slam.
All Sports Stories for Tuesday, February 1, 2000
