Illness, ranked foes send Deacs tumbling
By Daniel Ogle
Assistant Sports Editor

> February 16, 2001

A virus infected sophomore Bea Bielik and the women’s tennis team this weekend, as the eighth-ranked Demon Deacons dropped matches against Notre Dame and Illinois. The Bielik-less Deacons fell 5-0 to Notre Dame Feb. 11 and 5-2 to Illinois the following day.

Bielik, the No. 1-ranked singles player in the nation, was unable to play due to bronchitis, and the Deacons, who only have six players on the team, were forced to forfeit both a singles and doubles match both days because they only had five players available.

Against the Fighting Irish, Bergman was easily defeated by Michelle Dasso 6-1, 6-0 and Kimberly Guy handled freshman Aimee Smith 6-3, 6-2. Freshman Elizabeth Proctor also lost, falling 6-4, 6-1 to Caylan Leslie.

The Irish, who needed to win just one of two doubles’ matches to take the doubles point, accomplished their mission with a win in the second doubles spot.

Guy and Katie Cunha defeated senior Jackie Houston and Smith 8-5 to take the point. The Deacons fell behind 7-2 before rallying to make the score closer.

“I think we knew coming into the season that we were going to be shallow, having only six players,” Head Coach Brian Fleishman said. “With the six players we are very strong, a top 10 team, but with a player out of the lineup, we are an average team. Nobody really stepped up.”

The Deacons put up a better fight the following day against Illinois, but the result was still the same, as the Illini proved victorious, 5-2.

Junior Maren Haus and Houston prevailed in singles matches for the Deacons’ only points on the afternoon.

Haus won a three-set thriller, 4-6, 7-6, 7-5(5), and Houston cruised to a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Simone Kung.

“One of the things that really impressed me was the play of our senior, Jackie Houston,” Fleishman said. “She impressed me, because she was determined not to lose, and scratched and clawed and fought to win.“

Bergman fell in three sets 6-3,3-6,7-6(6), and Smith and Proctor both were defeated in straight sets. The Deacs were also forced to forfeit the sixth singles position, due to Bielik’s absence. Illinois also won the doubles point when Bergman and Houston fell 8-1 to King and Carla Rosenberg. Haus and Smith were victorious at the No. 1 doubles position, but the Deacs had to forfeit the third doubles position and consequently lost the point.

The Deacons return to action Feb. 15 in the National Team Indoor Championship in Madison, Wisc. The Deacons will open up against the University of Southern California. “We will be playing USC in the first round and they are coming out of the Pac-10,” Fleishman said. “They are very very good and it should be a very interesting match.”