1998 NCAA DIVISION I WOMEN'S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP
May 21-29
Courtney Tennis Center
University of Notre Dame
Duke 5, Stanford 4
Singles
Anne Kremer (S) def. Vanessa Webb, 2-6, 6-1, 7-5
Julie Scott (S) def. Kristin Sanderson, 6-2, 7-5
Megan Miller (D) def. Teryn Ashley, 6-4, 7-6 (8)
Ania Bleszynski (S) def. Karen Goldstein, 6-2, 6-2
Kathy Sell (D) def. Sarah Pestieau, 6-1, 6-4
Laura Zifer (D) def. Jen Heiser, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
Doubles
Goldstein and Webb (D) def. Ashley and Kremer, 8-6
Bleszynski and Scott (S) def. Miller and Sanderson, 8-2
Sell and Brooke Siebel (D) def. Heiser and Pestieau, 8-6
Postmatch Quotes
Stanford head coach Frank Brennan
On Duke:
"I think Duke has changed a lot since we last played them indoors. We beat them there, but they had a different lineup. Their number six singles was different from before and Duke won there. They're a good team, we've been nip and tuck with them for years. I wouldn't consider this an upset by any means."
On his doubles teams:
"There really wasn't an advantage that we played a doubles match yesterday and Duke hasn't played any at the tournament. I was confident going into to doubles because I think we're really good. We had lots of chances, in fact, we were up in both at one time, but we couldn't finish them off. Duke did and I give them credit for it."
Stanford player Anne Kremer
On her singles match:
"I felt good going into the match against Vanessa today. I've beaten her before. I knew what was going to work for me with these conditions out there."
Duke head coach Jamie Ashworth
On the win
: "It's great for the program and great for the girls to finally beat Stanford. This is the first time ever that we have beaten them. They knocked us out of this thing the last three years, so it was great all around. This win will help the program tremendously."
On his team's unity
: "I think the team's unity has carried us tremendously this spring. We lost five of our top seven from a year ago, and now we have two freshmen and a girl who transferred in. On paper it's not as good as teams that we have had in the past, but these girls have come together and won as a team."
On playing for the national championship
: "Ever since losing in the indoor match, our goal has been to win the outdoor national championship. We've been geared for this and we're ready to play."
Duke player Megan Miller
On the team's unity
: "After losing the doubles match, I put that behind me and cheered on Vanessa and Karen. We are so close as a team, that we don't stop believing in one another. Our goal here was not to take second, we're here to win the whole thing. That has been our goal since we lost to Stanford in the indoor championships."
On her singles match
: "As competitive as we are I think that the both us were fighting each other for every point. We were out there to do battle, and that was exactly what it was."
Duke player Vanessa Webb
On the winning point
: "Coach Ashworth told me to look for the lob and there it was. The lob came to me and I knew I had to get and I did."
Additional Photos
Stanford #3 doubles (Pestieau, Heiser) "Stanford freshman Sarah Pestieau (left) and sophomore Jennifer Heiser both lost their singles matches before losing a hard-fought 8-6 match in the #3 doubles to Duke's Kathy Sell and Brooke Siebel.
Stanford sophomores Anne Kremer (left) and Teryn Ashley--the nation's #14-ranked doubles team--held a 6-5 lead before losing, 8-6, to the nation's #2-ranked doubles team, Duke's Vanessa Webb and Karen Goldstein.
Duke junior Vanessa Webb awaits a serve from Stanford sophomore Anne Kremer in Saturday's #1 singles matchup. Kremer posted the comeback win (2-6, 6-1, 7-5) but Webb and classmate Karen Rothstein beat Kremer and Teryn Ashley in the clinching #1 doubles match a few hours later.
Stanford senior Julie Scott posted a 6-2, 7-5 win over Duke junior Kristin Sanderson in the #2 singles before teaming with classmate Ania Bleszynski to beat Sanderson and freshman Megan Miller in the #2 doubles (8-2). Scott, who entered the week ranked 7th in the nation, improved to 38-8 in singles play this season.
Duke freshman Megan Miller (left) and junior Vanessa Webb field questions from the media following Saturday's 5-4 win over defending NCAA champion Stanford. Miller won a pivotal match vs. Stanford sophomore Teryn Ashley in the #3 singles (7-4, 7-6/8-6) while Webb combined with junior Karen Goldstein to win the clinching #1 doubles match.
