April 6, 2002

NOTRE DAME, Ind. - The No. 19 Northwestern (13-5, 5-0) women's tennis team held on to defeat the 23rd-ranked Fighting Irish (11-11) Saturday morning at the Eck Tennis Pavilion in Notre Dame, Ind. With the match tied at 3-3, Wildcat sophomore Ruth Barnes won five straight games in the third set to clinch the match. Barnes defeated Notre Dame freshman Sara Jane Connelly 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 at No. 6 singles, securing NU's 4-3 victory.

Notre Dame opened the match with two wins in doubles for the first point. Northwestern rebounded, taking the first set in five of the six singles matches. Marine Piriou, ranked 25th nationally, tied the score with a 7-5, 6-2 win at No. 1 over Becky Varnum. The Irish edged the 'Cats as Alicia Salas defeated Simona Petrutiu 7-6(7-4), 6-2. The Wildcats won the next two matches to take the 3-2 lead as Lia Jackson and Andrea Yung won in straight sets at Nos. 2 and 5, respectively. Ranked 67th in the nation, Wildcat Jessica Rush fell to Notre Dame's Lindsey Green at No. 3 (2-6, 6-4, 6-2) to even the score again. All attention turned to No. 6 singles where Barnes delivered the victory for the 'Cats.

Northwestern returns to the courts on Sunday, April 7 as they host the Iowa Hawkeyes. Match time is set for 11 a.m at the Combe Tennis Center.

#19 Northwestern vs. #23 Notre Dame

NORTHWESTERN 4, NOTRE DAME 3

SINGLES
No. 1 #25 Marine Piriou (NU) def. #86 Becky Varnum (ND), 7-5, 6-2
No. 2 Lia Jackson (NU) def. #121 Nina Vaughan (ND), 6-3, 7-5
No. 3 Lindsey Green (ND) def. #67 Jessica Rush (NU), 2-6, 6-4, 6-2
No. 4 Alicia Salas (ND) def. Simona Petrutiu (NU), 7-6 (7-4), 6-2
No. 5 Andrea Yung (NU) def. Katie Cunha (ND), 6-3, 6-4
No. 6 Ruth Barnes (NU) def. Sarah Jane Connelly (ND), 6-1, 4-6, 6-2*

DOUBLES
No. 1 Cunha/Green (ND) def. #35 Piriou/Rush (NU), 8-2
No. 2 #22 Jackson/Petrutiu (NU) def. Varnum/Vaughan (ND), 8-3
No. 3 Connelly/Salas (ND) def. Barnes/Yung (NU), 8-5

Team Records -- Northwestern: 13-5 Notre Dame: 11-11

* denotes clinching match

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