Irish need spark to take on tough Tribe
By KEVIN BERCHOU
Sports Writer
They just don't get much better than this.
The red hot Notre Dame women's tennis squadron, flying high after five straight wins, will touch down in Madison, Wis., this weekend to battle an equally scorching William and Mary team in what should be a spectacular showdown.
The Irish will take on the Tribe today in the first round of the USTA/ITA National Team Indoor Championships. History indicates the match will be a close one; William and Mary leads the all-time series 4-3, but dropped a 5-4 decision to Notre Dame last season.
The 27th-ranked Irish have been playing their best tennis. Coming off impressive victories over Maryland and Illinois, Notre Dame has picked the right time to catch fire. They'll need all the spark they can get to beat 12th-ranked William and Mary.
In recent matches the Irish women have demonstrated considerable depth and have posted strong showings from top to bottom. Junior All-American Michelle Dasso, the team's top player, enters the match as one of the top singles players in school history. She will take on the Tribe's Delphine Troch in No. 1 singles.
Lindsey Green is undefeated thus far in both singles and doubles and her level of play will go a long way in telling whether or not the Irish can advance.
Senior Kelly Zalinski will have extra motivation as she is closing on the school record for career singles wins. She needs just nine more victories to eclipse Jennifer Hall's record total of 116.
Because both teams are solid in singles play, the outcome of the match is likely to hinge on doubles play. That fact could very well play into the hands of the Irish.
Notre Dame boasts two ranked doubles tandems, while William and Mary has only one. The pairing of Dasso and sophomore Becky Varnum is ranked 33rd, while the coupling of junior Kimberly Guy and freshman Katie Cunha is 17th. The Tribe's top offering of Troch and junior Carolyn Buis is ranked an impressive 10th.
The Irish will make their seventh consecutive appearance in the National Indoors and will strive to improve their 8-10 all-time record in the event.
All Sports Stories for Thursday, February 17, 2000
