Nolan Rallies Wolverines Past Indiana in Home Finale

Sunday, April 21

Ann Arbor, Mich.

11:00 AM

Michigan

Indiana

4/21/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan women's tennis sophomore Chrissie Nolan (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South HS) clinched the Wolverines' come-from-behind 4-3 victory against Indiana Sunday (April 21) at Varsity Tennis Center, winning a third-set tiebreaker against Indiana's Linda Tran at the No. 3 singles slot. Nolan won the third-set tiebreaker by an 11-9 score against Tran on her sixth match point while fending off three match points by Tran to win the match after dropping the first set, 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(9). Nolan also trailed 5-3 in the final set before staging the epic rally.

Nolan

The Wolverines (12-9, 5-5 Big Ten) sent off senior Jen Vaughn (Jefferson City, Mo./Lawrence HS) by rallying with four singles victories after dropping the doubles point for just the sixth time this season. U-M completed the home schedule with a school-record nine victories (9-4), including six straight to end the year.

IU won the doubles point with victories at No. 1 and No. 3. The Wolverines kept the Hoosiers from a doubles sweep as junior Jen Duprez (Westhampton, N.Y./Westhampton Beach HS) and sophomore Kim Plaushines (Oconomowoc, Wis./Kettle Moraine HS) won an 8-5 match against Inga Radel and Dominika Walterova at No. 2.

In singles, the Hoosiers extended their lead to 2-0 as Radel posted a 6-3, 6-2 victory against freshman Michelle DaCosta (Huber Heights, Ohio/Wayne HS) at No. 2. Michigan began to mount a comeback and took the lead, 3-2, with straight-set victories at No. 1, No. 4 and No. 6. Sophomore Kavitha Tipirneni (Galloway, Ohio/Hilliard Darby HS) started things for the Wolverines with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Amanda Field at No. 1. Freshman Leanne Rutherford (Calgary, Alberta/National Sports School) followed with a 6-2, 6-2 victory against Karie Schlukebir at No. 4, ending a four-match season-worst losing streak for Rutherford.

Plaushines proceeded to give U-M the lead with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Martina Grimm at No. 6. Indiana pulled the match even as Dominika Walterova won a straight-set match against Duprez at No. 5, winning a pair of tiebreakers by a 7-5 score, 7-6(5), 7-6(5). With the score tied at three apiece, the stage was set for Nolan's dramatic finish to the regular season.

The Wolverines await seeds for the upcoming Big Ten Championship hosted by Indiana University. The team tournament will be played April 25-28 at the IU Tennis Courts in Bloomington, Ind.

Following are match-by-match results:

Singles
No. 1 -- Kavitha Tipirneni (U-M) d. Amanda Field, 6-3, 6-3
No. 2 -- Inga Radel (IU) d. Michelle DaCosta, 6-3, 6-2
No. 3 -- Chrissie Nolan (U-M) d. Linda Tran, 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(9)
No. 4 -- Leanne Rutherford (U-M) d. Karie Schlukebir, 6-2, 6-2
No. 5 -- Dominika Walterova (IU) d. Jen Duprez, 7-6(5), 7-6(5)
No. 6 -- Kim Plaushines (U-M) d. Martina Grimm, 7-5, 6-3

Doubles
No. 1 -- Schlukebir/Tran (IU) d. DaCosta/Rutherford, 8-2
No. 2 -- Duprez/Plaushines (U-M) d. Radel/Walterova, 8-5
No. 3 -- Field/Grimm (IU) d. Nolan/Tipirneni, 8-4

Contact: David Ablauf (734) 763-4423