Irish surprise Louderback with strong performances
By KEVIN BERCHOU
Sports Writer
Heading into the 1999-2000 campaign, Coach Jay Louder-back thought he was being realistic with his low expectations for the Notre Dame women's tennis team.
Losing many key players to graduation and facing a tough schedule, Louderback was certain that the Irish had a tough season ahead of them. Louderback will be the first to happily admit he was wrong.
"We played much better than I thought coming in," he admitted. "We definitely overachieved."
The only problem with improved play is the heightened expectations that accompany it. Whereas Louderback initially expected little from his team, he now feels it has a great shot to advance deep into the NCAA tournament.
Ranked in the 13th spot, the Irish came out strong in the first two rounds of the NCAAs, downing UIC and South Carolina. The Irish swept the No. 20 Gamecocks in singles and captured a No. 3 doubles win to advance to the third round of the tournament this weekend. Notre Dame's third-round berth at Pepperdine University marks the first time the Irish have made it this far since 1996.
"I think we really have a shot at making a run," said Louderback.
Louderback's confidence can be attributed to the fact that his players have performed at a high level all season long.
Led by junior All-American Michelle Dasso, the women surged from the start of the season, trouncing highly ranked foes like William and Mary and Maryland, en route to a national ranking of 14.
Dasso overcame a fall shoulder injury to regain her All-American form, while sophomore Becky Varnum stepped up to play No. 2 singles.
"I was happy with a lot of the girls, they all stepped up," said Louderback. Senior captain Kelly Zalinksi also made big contributions, becoming the school's career singles wins leader in the process.
After playing so well throughout the season, the Irish entered Big East tournament play the favorite, only to be blown away by the Hurricanes of Miami in the final, a squad they had vanquished a week earlier.
"It was disappointing not to win there," Louderback said. "But we gave it a good run. It's a tough place to play."
As his team looks for an NCAA championship, Louderback is confident of Notre Dame's abilities.
"We've had good practices, and I think we're focused and ready to make a run," he said.
All Sports Stories for Friday, May 19, 2000
