March 10, 1998

LAS VEGAS - The 36th-ranked UNLV women's tennis team was swept in doubles en route to a 7-2 loss to 18th-ranked Notre Dame in the first day of the Excalibur Challenge being held at the Fertitta Tennis Complex Tuesday.

The Lady Rebels (3-5) won two of the first four singles matches and won the first set in two others. However, Susie Kocsis and Veronica Goude both went on to lose in three sets to make the score 4-2 after singles play. The Irish then swept doubles for three points, including the 27th-ranked duo of Tiffany Gates and Jennifer Hall of Notre Dame upseting 13th-ranked Kocsis and Gee Gee Garvin, 8-3.

"We are putting ourselves in situations to win but we need to start pulling out the close ones to get it done," Head Coach Ola Malmqvist said.

UNLV got its victories from freshmen Britta Gabl and Marcella Valkenhoff at the fifth and sixth spots respectively.

Notre Dame takes on No. 1-ranked Florida Wednesday while the Lady Rebels will face the Lady Gators Thursday at 1:30 p.m.

1998 EXCALIBUR CHALLENGE - MATCH ONENOTRE DAME 7, UNLV 2At Fertitta Tennis Complex, Las Vegas, NVMarch 10, 1998SINGLES-1.  Jennifer Hall (ND) def. Susie Kocsis (UNLV)         6-7, 6-2, 6-32.  Michelle Dasso (ND) def. Gee Gee Garvin (UNLV)      6-2, 6-23.  Marissa Velasco (ND) def. Veronica Goude (UNLV)     4-6, 7-5, 7-54.  Tiffany Gates (ND) def. Lisa Annebro (UNLV)         6-1, 6-45.  Britta Gabl (UNLV) def. Kelly Zalinski (ND)         6-4, 6-36.  Marcella Valkenhoff (UNLV) def. Kelley Olson (ND)   6-1, 7-6DOUBLES-1.  Gates/Hall (ND) def. Kocsis/Garvin (UNLV)       8-32.  Dasso/Velasco (ND) def. Gabl/Valkenhoff (UNLV)  8-23.  Olson/Zalinksi (ND) def. Annebro/Goude (UNLV)   8-1