WOMEN'S TENNIS: Irish hope to extend home winning streak
By COLIN BOYLAN
Sports Writer
The 20th-ranked Notre Dame women's tennis team will try to extend its three-match winning streak when it concludes a six-match homestand this weekend. The Irish face Wisconsin on Friday at 4 p.m. and Ohio State Saturday at 1 p.m. in the Eck Tennis Pavilion.
The Irish hope that a pair of home matches against weaker competition will be a good confidence builder for the team, but they aren't taking anything for granted.
"I think we can definitely build some confidence this weekend, but we know that both Wisconsin and Ohio State are tough teams. Wisconsin is having a great year and Ohio is playing really well too," said senior captain Becky Varnum.
Indeed, both the Badgers and the Buckeyes boast better records than the Irish, weighing in at 8-2 and 9-1, respectively.
Nonetheless, confidence is running high on the Irish side, as the team is coming off a 7-0 victory against Virginia Tech, their first shutout victory of the season.
"We struggled a little bit in doubles [last week against the Hokies], but came back strong and really dominated in singles. And we've followed that up by having some really strong practices this week," said Varnum.
The Irish have a good history against the Badgers, as the teams have played every year for the past 12 years — and the Irish have won each of the past four matchups. Moreover, the team has shut out Wisconsin in the past two seasons.
Meanwhile, the Ohio State squad is no slouch either. The Buckeyes are just coming off a solid 6-1 victory over Virginia Tech and has earned a respectable 2-1 record in the tough Big Ten conference.
The Irish hope to use these weekend matches as a springboard towards their overall season goals. The team's schedule figures to get much tougher over the next several weeks and the team is attempting to gel at just the right time.
"One of our goals is to win all our regional matches this year and eventually make it to the Sweet 16," said Varnum. "Plus we've got some really big matches coming up, so it's a nice time for our team to come together."
All Sports Stories for Friday, March 1, 2002
