March 28, 1998

Notre Dame Falls to Kentucky

No. 16 Irish Lose to No. 24 Wildcats, 5-4

NOTRE DAME, Ind. -- Notre Dame's 16th-ranked women's tennis team lost two of three doubles matches as 24th-ranked Kentucky upset the Irish 5-4 on Saturday at the Eck Tennis Pavilion. The Irish and Wildcats split the six singles matched before Kentucky posted wins at Nos. 1 and 3 doubles for the win. The loss drops Notre Dame to 12-6 while Kentucky improves to 10-5.

Notre Dame took a 3-1 lead in the match thanks to singles wins by Kelly Zalinski, Tiffany Gates and Michelle Dasso. Zalinski won 6-4, 6-4 at No. 5 singles over Carolina Kirk and Gates won 6-4, 6-2 at No. 4 over Christy Sigurski. Dasso then improved to 17-0 in dual meets in her freshman season with a tough 6-0, 5-7, 6-3 win over Kelly Brown at No. 2 singles. Brooke Skeen had beaten Kelley Olson at No. 6 singles 7-5, 6-1 to give Kentucky a 1-0 lead in the match.

The Wildcats then rallied with a pair of three-set wins in the final two singles matches. Massoumeh Emami rallied from a 3-0 third-set deficit for a 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 win over Jennifer Hall at No. 1 singles. Kathy Herring completed the comeback with a 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 over Marisa Velasco at No. 3 singles.

Brown and Emami put Kentucky up 4-3 with an 8-6 win over Gates and Hall at No. 1 doubles. Dasso and Velasco won the final three games of the set for an 8-6 over Sigurski and Skeen to knot the match at 4-4. Herring and Kirk rallied Kentucky once again for an 8-5 win over Olson and Zalinski at No. 3 doubles after trailing 3-0.

#24 Kentucky 5, #16 Notre Dame 4

Singles
No. 1: Massoumeh Emami (UK) def. Jennifer Hall (ND) 3-6, 7-5, 7-6
No. 2: Michelle Dasso (ND) def. Kelly Brown (UK) 6-0, 5-7, 6-3
No. 3: Kathy Herring (UK) def. Marisa Velasco (ND) 1-6, 6-4, 6-4
No. 4: Tiffany Gates (ND) def. Christy Sigurski (UK) 6-4, 6-2
No. 5: Kelly Zalinski (ND) def. Carolina Kirk (UK) 6-4, 6-4
No. 6: Brooke Skeen (UK) def. Kelley Olson (ND) 7-5, 6-1

Doubles
No. 1: Brown/Emami (UK) def. Gates/Hall (ND) 8-6
No. 2: Dasso/Velasco (ND) def. Sigurski/Skeen (UK) 8-6
No. 3: Herring Kirk (UK) def. Olson/Zalinski (ND) 8-5