Irish going to Carolina to take on UNC, No. 5 Duke
By RACHEL BIBER
Sports Writer
When the updated rankings were released by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association this week, the Irish men's tennis team recognized the difficult task ahead of them. The numbers are not scaring them away from the challenge.
No. 23 Notre Dame heads to the East this weekend to take on No. 28 North Carolina on Saturday and No. 5 Duke on Sunday.
"It's obviously a big weekend for us," Irish head coach Bob Bayliss said. "[North Carolina and Duke] are formidable opponents but it's not a challenge we are afraid of taking on. We are excited and ready to go." The Irish hope to extinguish the recent hot streak of the North Carolina Tar Heels - a team that leaped from No. 44 to No. 28 in the recent rankings. The Tar Heels won two big matches last week, over South Carolina and Florida State, to improve to 8-2 overall and 1-0 in the ACC. Depth seems to be an asset for the Tar Heels, and the Irish will look to counter that strength by continuing their strong doubles play and by taking advantage of the opportunities for wins in the top part of the lineup. "We are playing very good doubles right now," Bayliss said. "I'd like to think that is becoming a strength for us."
Notre Dame also made a remarkable jump in the latest rankings due to a strong showing at last week's Blue-Gray National Classic in Montgomery, Alabama, where it posted big wins over Virginia and UAB. The 9-5 Irish earned a season high ranking of 23 after being slotted at No. 36 last week. The Tar Heels also feature a strong No. 1 singles player in 47th-ranked Tripp Phillips, who recently upended Florida State's 28th-ranked Xavier Luscan. Phillips will meet Irish All-American and 10th-ranked Ryan Sachire in the top match.
After the Irish face-off against the Tar Heels they will look to continue their winning ways in Duke territory.
The Irish and Blue Devils will meet for the 14th time in a series Duke leads 9-4, but Notre Dame has won two of the last three meetings overall and two of the last three matches at Duke. The Irish posted 4-3 wins at Duke when the Blue Devils were ranked fourth in 1994 and 13th in 1998. Notre Dame also won a 4-3 match over eighth-ranked Duke at home in 1997. Duke comes into the weekend's competition after suffering a string of losses to now eighth-ranked Baylor, top ranked UCLA, and fourth ranked
Pepperdine, dropping to 9-4 on the season. The Blue Devils have not been defeated three straight times since the 1993-94 season.
With a singles squad that is underscored by five players ranked among the top 100 in the nation, Duke is able to present an ever-changing lineup that often catches its opponent off-guard.
The Blue Devils 18th-ranked Ramsey Smith, son of United States tennis great Stan Smith, 42nd-ranked Doug Root, and 51st-ranked Andrew Pedroso have shuffled in and out of the top singles position throughout the season. The Irish squad will most likely have all their weapons intact as they hit the road for the upcoming competition. Aaron Talarico, who has been pestered by an ankle injury, has been cleared to play after fear that his pains were a result of a stress fracture. Talarico will definitely appear with doubles partner Javier Taborga to form the No. 1 Irish duo in doubles, but Brian Farrell will be ready to fill in if Bayliss decides to pull Talarico from the singles lineup.
In the end, the rankings are meaningless and the intensity and quality of play of the Irish will be the deciding factor in determining the wins and losses.
"I'm not concerned with rankings, but rather how well we are playing," Bayliss said.
All Sports Stories for Friday, March 24, 2000
