WOMENS TENNIS: Irish look to sparkle in Southern Sun
By JOE LINDSLEY
Sports Writer
The Irish will be spending spring break in Tempe, but before that they will travel to Provo, Utah, where they will take on No. 49 Brigham Young.
After a week of practicing under the Tempe sun, Notre Dame will then take on No. 7 Arizona State.
The Irish expect a tough fight this Saturday.
"[Brigham Young] is a team that always fights to the very end in every single spot of their lineup," Irish senior Katie Cunha said. "I think they have a little bit of the home-court advantage being in the [high] altitude."
The No. 19 Irish earned their first upset victory of the season last weekend when they defeated No. 13 Texas, and the team is planning on carrying the momentum from that win into Saturday's match.
"If we play like we did last weekend, we should win," Cunha said.
After Brigham Young, Notre Dame will spend the rest of break in Arizona.
"We're just going to get down there to Tempe and practice hard all week, just get used to the outdoor courts and the weather and then play some ball on Friday," Cunha said.
One of the best parts of traveling to Arizona State, according to Cunha, is non-tennis related.
"First of all, we're looking forward to getting out of the weather," she said.
Other than that though, the Irish are excited for the opportunity to do battle with a top-ten power
At about the midway point in the season, the Irish are making advancements despite their challenging schedule.
"I think we've had some hard-fought matches," Cunha said. "I really think that our doubles are coming together. All the girls played solid last weekend. I think everything is starting to come together for us."
Although the team is relatively young, the Irish are slowly gaining importance experience.
"The freshmen are starting to get used to the individual matches," Cunha said. "We're getting a little more comfortable with our lineup. I think we're getting pretty good right now."
All Sports Stories for Friday, March 7, 2003
