Notre Dame Girls Win D-I A-AA State Title

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MURFREESBORO - 5/23/12 --In the 1950s and 60s, the Irish leprechaun danced across the parquet floor of old Boston Garden as legends Russell, Cousy, Havlicek, Heinsohn and the Jones duo won world titles.

 

Today the leprechaun came South to dance across the hard courts at Old Fort Park as young ladies - Dorris, Voges, McIntyre, Ross and the Joyce sisters - became school legends as the Notre Dame girls' tennis team defeated Christian Academy of Knoxville, 4-3, to win the D-I A-AA BlueCross Spring Fling XIX state championship in dramatic fashion.

 

The doubles team of Danika Dorris and Sarah Joyce defeated Region 2 champion Barbara Smith and Haleigh Chastain, 8-4, in the final match to set off a wild celebration for the school's first girls' tennis state title.

 

"I don't think I have the words to express how I feel about these girls winning a state championship," said Notre Dame head coach Anne Ricksecker.

 

"I am happy, excited and proud of how the players worked hard all season."

 

Playing in a 5 singles, 2 doubles format, Notre Dame led 3-2 after singles (Katie Joyce, Danika Dorris and Allyson Ross won), only to have CAK win at No.2 doubles to even the match at 3-3 as all eyes turned to the final match.

 

"In doubles I told myself I couldn't choke as I did in singles (had two match points at 5-3 in the third set, but lost) and had to be as cool as possible," said freshman Sarah Joyce.

 

And cool she was.

 

Leading 4-1 in the deciding match, the Notre Dame duo saw its lead disappear as CAK won three straight to make it 4-4.

 

"We wanted to win this team title for Callie Voges our senior captain and we gave it all we had," Joyce said.

 

With a perfect season on the line, Joyce and Dorris then ran off three straight wins themselves before Joyce served out the match at love for the championship of a lifetime.

 

Joyce won the first two points of game 12 before Dorris played tough at the net with two big volleys and a third put away to make it 40-0 before an unforced CAK errror ended the drama.

 

"We played steady down the stretch, knew we had to fight for every point and played our hearts out," Dorris said.

 

"Wow!" said Notre Dame assistant coach Gary McIntyre. "What a thrill for these girls to win a state championship."

 

A perfect ending to a perfect season (13-0) as the Notre Dame girls made sure the leprechaun would live to dance another day.

 

Voges Championships - 8 decades: Starting with Marilyn Voges Brown's 6-and-under City singles title in 1946 and culminating with Notre Dame senior Callie Voges' state team championship today, the Voges family has won at least one individual or team city, state or Southern crown in eight decades ... Voges Brown (a Chattanooga City High School grad) who played No.2 singles and No.2 doubles for the University of Chattanooga men's tennis team in the late 1950s, early 60s, also won a variety of championships in the 50s and 60s ... Callie's dad, Eric (the McCallie head coach) won a TSSAA state doubles title in 1979 and 1980 ... As coach, he guided the Big Blue to state team crowns in 1991 and 1994 as well as a four-peat, 2006-07-08-09 ... Callie and company's win today gives the family a championship in its eighth straight decade.

 

 

contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net

Edited May 23, 2012 by bbb