SMC Tennis: Belles defeat rival Calvin twice in strong season
Although Saint Mary's fell short of a conference title, Belles coach Dale Campbell still views the 2011 campaign as a successful one.
Although Saint Mary's fell short of a conference title, Belles coach Dale Campbell still views the 2011 campaign as a successful one.
Play defender, midfielder and forward in the national championship game, celebrate a national crown, take final exams early and begin camp with the national soccer program — senior Lauren Fowlkes did it all in the space of just one early-December week.
Despite a Big East semifinal upset at Louisville May 13, the No. 18 Irish have a 45-9 record and a regular season conference championship under their belt, as well as high expectations for the NCAA tournament.
With the strength of No. 5 junior Kristy Frilling's leadership and an infusion of talent from the freshman class, No. 20 Notre Dame battled through adversity to post a 17-10 record this season and won the Big East title to advance to the NCAA tournament.
Despite advancing to the Big East tournament championship game, Notre Dame failed to earn a berth in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2007.
Saint Mary's enjoyed immense success during the 2010 season, finishing in the MIAA top-five for the fifth straight season. Members of the team set 39 different personal records, and sophomore Julia Kenney became the fifth runner in program history to be named to the all-MIAA team and the youngest member of the program to earn all-region honors.
The Irish struggled with an up-and-down season, finishing with mixed results in both indoor and outdoor competitions.
With a new coach and a young team, Notre Dame had an excuse for its anemic offense and poor run support early in the season.
The 2010-11 season was expected to be a transition year for the Irish — the program graduated three of its top five scorers in 2010, and was depending on a few inexperienced players to emerge in more prominent roles.
Since signing on as a freshman with raw talent and a heated temper, senior midfielder Zach Brenneman has learned to rely on the next play, ultimately developing into a player-of-the-year candidate and household exterminator.
The 2010-11 season saw the Belles break new ground in multiple areas as the squad ended the year on a high note, giving hope for next season.
Despite opening their conference season with a victory for the first time in 11 years, the young Belles squad struggled to a 5-21 finish, winning just three of 16 conference matches.
On what Notre Dame's 2011-12 success means to him personally:
Although the Belles did not finish the season they way they wanted to, the 2010-11 season will go down as a landmark season for the program and one of the best in its history.
The arrival of fall at Notre Dame brings with it a few certain facts — the days will get shorter, the temperature colder, the leaves will change color and Bobby Clark will lead his Irish squad to the NCAA tournament.
With the strength of No. 5 junior Kristy Frilling's leadership and an infusion of talent from the freshman class, No. 20 Notre Dame battled through adversity to post a 17-10 record this season and won the Big East title to advance to the NCAA tournament.
This season has been another feather in the hat for Irish coach Bobby Bayliss. The team finished second in the Big East and earned a berth as a No. 2 seed in the 64-team NCAA tournament for the 20th time in 21 years.
Following a close defeat to Penn State at the 2010 NCAA championships, the 18 Irish senior fencers set a goal in the offseason — get back to the championship match, but this time win it.
After falling to Duke in the 2010 National Championship game, the No. 4/5 Irish returned stronger in 2011 and established themselves as one of the nation's elite teams.
Irish coach Debbie Brown has high expectations for her team each and every season, making the 2010 campaign a significant setback in the recent success of the program.