Three generations of Notre Dame tennis and three generations of championship play.

Chris Brown (three-time state champion) and Laura Dupont carried the Notre Dame banner in the early 1960s and passed it on to Debbie Herring who won a state singles title in 1985 to guide the Irish to a state runner-up finish in the team standings.

The 2010 Irish boys won district, region and sectional titles and were state runners-up and John Dorris won the state singles championship, while the doubles team of Jennifer Taylor/Jennifer Brouner claimed a state crown in 2008.

The 2012 girls team has won the school's first regionand sectional  team titles under the current TSSAA playoff format and will compete in the BlueCross Spring Fling XIX state tournament next week at Old Fort Park in Mufreesboro.

Thursday at the Champions Club, Notre Dame defeated Boyd-Buchanan, 4-1, for the A-AA sectional title (state quarters) and an invitational to the big dance in Murfreesboro.

"I didn't eat much before the match as I was somewhat nervous as we were one match away from our goal," said Notre Dame coach Anne Ricksecker. "This is a big win for us as we have never won the region or sectional and now we are playing for a state championship."

The Irish take a perfect record (12-0) to Spring Fling and face Page High School in a state semifinal match Tuesday at 10 a.m. (EDT) . Page beat Columbia Academy for the region title and Hume Fogg in the state quarters.

State Finals: The A-AA girls state finals are Wed. May 23 at 10 a.m. EDT.

In the win against Boyd-Buchanan, the Irish won four of five singles to close out the match before doubles.

Katie and Sarah Joyce, Danika Dorris and Allyson Ross all posted wins, while Allie Keaster posted the Bucs lone win af No. 3 singles with a 6-3, 7-5 triumph against Callie Voges.

Irish Tennis History

Early 1960s - Notre Dame's Chris Brown was the first player in TSSAA history to win three state singles titles, 1962-64 ... he earned one team point with each win, thus Notre Dame was co-state champs in 1963 (withh Oak Ridge) and 1964 (with Memphis Central) ... Laura DuPont was East Tennesseee region singles champ in 1964 and was state runner-up that year in the first year TSSAA sanctioned a girls' state tennis championship.

1985 -  Notre Dame freshman Debbie Herring won five matches in the state tournament to win the state singles title and earned eight team points as the Irish played second in the state behind champion GPS.

In the finals, Herring beat defending champion Sholar Clark (GPS), 6-1, 7-5.

2008 - Jennifer Taylor and Jennifer Brouner won the state girls doubles title

2010 - The ND boys were state runners-up while John Dorris won the singles title.

2012 -  The ND girls have won district, region and sectional titles ... two wins away from a state team championship.

Thursday's Are Good Tennis Days: Chris Brown won his third state singles title on Thurs. June 4, 1964 in Nashville ... Debbie Herring won her state singles title on Thurs. May  16, 1985 at Centennial Park in Nashville ... the 2012 Notre Dame girls' team won its first sectional title on Thurs. May 17, 2012 at the Champions Club

Team Format: 2012 is the 25th year (1988-2012) in which the TSSAA has used the current team 5-2 (singles/doubles) format to determine a state team champion ... from 1962-1987, the team state champion was determined by points earned by players in the singles and doubles competition.

Notre Dame 4, Boyd-Buchanan 1

Singles

Katie Joyce (ND) def. Emily Brown, 6-2, 6-1

Sarah Joyce (ND) def. Taylor Eades, 6-0, 6-0

Allie Keasler (BB) def. Callie Voges (ND), 6-3, 7-5

Danka Davis (ND) def. Paige Zumbrun, 6-0, 6-1

Allysika Dorris (ND) def. Katie Delay, 7-5, 6-1

Records: Notre Dame (12-0), Boyd Buchanan (15-4)

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

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