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Show DAILY THE UTAH CHR ONICLE SPORTS srm-- f Women -- ktt 1 . nay unaeraog (30-2- ) urday. . JKoie at the Regional semifinals in Denver, Colo., on RANDALL HARRINGTON Chronicle Sports Writer The great thing about March Madness and the NCAA Tournament is the number of different challenges that a team has to overcome in a short period of time. After celebrating its biggest win in school history late Monday nightearly Tuesday morning, the University of Utah women's team finds itself with a new challenge.. .playing the role of the underdog. Notre Dame No. Utah (28-3- ) faces No. mi 1 Sat- wf- - v. . mrmmtm fr- - "In the women's game, there has always been a pretty bctween...the top two or three teams that severe break-of- f could win every game against all levels of tallegitimately Elaine Elliott. "This is a Notre coach said Utah ent," Dame team that fits into that category. "So it is a great challenge. It's not a lot of pressure on us obviously, but there is a lot of pressure in competing," she added. "As a competitor, nobody wants to go away without feeling like they don't belong there, and we are up to that." After cruising through the season as the favorite against every team they played, the Utes now find themselves playing a team that, on paper, has more talent than they do. "We are the underdog," senior Utah guard Amy Ewert said. "This is a different position for us because we have always been No. in the Mountain West. As an underdog, we are more relaxed. There is no pressure on us. We are not really expected to do anything, but as long as we believe in ourselves and play our game, we can challenge them more than the first two teams have." Those first two teams were outscored by a combined 81 points, with Alcorn State losing by 49 and Michigan by -. 1 34- - Utah, the best defensive team in the nation, now faces a whole new level of competition. "We are going to have to score at this level," said Elliott. "Sometimes throughout the season we can just defend and still beat people because we have been better than people. We are not better than they arewe will need a complete game." Fellow MWC coach Dom Flanagan's New Mexico team, who lost twice to Utah during the year, played against three teams in the top 10 during the season. Flanagan says Senior swingman Amy Ewert admitted that the Utes can't match the talent level boasted by Notre Dame. see women's hoops, page 10 Kristina Andersen's inspired play has the Utes in Ute Gymnasts Hope to Overcome Setbacks the Sweet 16. en Begjns.MWC RORY BRUNNER Chronicle Asst. Sports Editor Action Today Last weekend wasn't exactly the y the Utah cathartic, reassuring for. Granthad team gymnastics hoped ed, the Red Rocks escaped with a win over Florida and two other pushovers, but the end of the meet may not have justified the means. The Utes will likely be without top Deidra Graham Friday BYU as against they look to correct the vault troubles suffered against Floridadisheartening news heading into the final meet of the regular season. Yet with all the distractions, (including a drop to No. 5 nationally, its lowest all season), Utah is and still has the personnel to make a run at the NCAA Championship albeit a small one if the Utes do not refine their idio- E.KX WALDEN Chronicle Sports Editor get-awa- 196.750-to-196.5- "4 'i - " ' Normally, an extended spring txip to California would be. a, pleas arable experience, it is characterized by matches against and losses-tsome of the best collegiate raen's feanis programs in the nation, it no longer seems so pleasurable. The University of Utah's team of male netters is undoubtedly, eager to be out of the Golden State following consecutive losses to No. ro Pepperdine, No, 19 USC and No. 50 San Diego. "Now, after a week off, the. Utes look 0 regroup ap their Mountain West Conference season gets underway tc day. And while they remain on the road, at least they are in more familiar territory, as they head h south to Provo for a set to take place over the next .three days. Utes Today, the (6-- 5 overall) start off their . but-.whe- OK' 12-1- -1 : ' - item syncrasies. Wolf's Last Stand Although the meet isn't officially her last performance in the Huntsman Center (the Utes will host the NCAA Regionals April 7), Ute team captain Theresa Wolf will be honored as the only Utah senior before Friday's 7 p.m. tangle with BYU. in the Wolf has gone since her freshman year. This three-matc- 63rd-rank- part-tim- e ed see MEN'S TENWJS, page see gymnastics, page MEM'S TENNIS Utah hosts its final meet of the regular season this weekend against Utah GYMNASTICS BYU BYU vs Utah at 322 "i1 11 Provo, Uiah 323 7 BASEBALL UNLV vs Utah p.m. d The Huntsman Center CHRONICLE SPORTS EDITOR BYU. WOMEN'S HOOPS , Utari Utah at vs Notre Dame Arizona 324 323-2- 4 323-2- 5 Franklinc Covey Field ERIC "WALLY" WALDEN SOFTBALL $ Tucson, Ariz. EWALDENCH RONICLE.UTAH.EDU 6:07 p.m. Denver, Colo. 581-704- 1 10 , |