By DAN WICHMAN
CHARLOTTE D When a team dominates a sport like the women's tennis team has recently in the Atlantic Coast Conference, it becomes easy to lose perspective. People have come to expect an ACC title year in and year out, and there may be less appreciation when the goal is accomplished.
One look at the ecstatic Duke players after Sunday's 5-2 win over Clemson to clinch the ACC Tournament title showed that, although now routine, winning the title is still something to cherish.
By defeating North Carolina State, No. 23 Virginia, and No. 13 Clemson on successive days, fourth-ranked Duke won its sixth straight ACC title and improved to 21-2 on the season, 11-0 in the ACC. The Blue Devils' only two losses have come to top-ranked Florida, most recently by a 5-4 margin.
Clemson, which won the six ACC titles prior to Duke's current reign, fell to 19-5 but will still likely make the NCAA Tournament field.
"This is just a really tough [Duke] team," head coach Geoff Macdonald said. "Clemson really wanted to beat us badly, and we have a lot of difficult match-ups with them, but people came through.
"It's so difficult when people tend to expect you to win. Even the writing in the paper says Duke's just got to show up. That's crap. . . . It ain't easy. I'm really proud of the team."
Junior Christine Neuman was named theTournament's Most Valuable Player, winning all her matches in straight sets, but she chose to defer credit to her elder teammates.
"It feels great," Neuman said. "Especially for our seniors. They're a vital part of this team. They did a heck of a job this year. I'm proud to be on this team."
For Neuman, the MVP award was recognition for not only a strong tournament but also a stellar season as a whole.
"Neuman has not lost a singles or a doubles match in the ACC either during the year or in the tournament," Macdonald said. "That's why she won MVP. She just had a great, thorough year."
Duke went into the Clemson match ready for a battle, but at the top singles positions, there was little resistance.
Senior Julie Exum, ranked third in the NCAA, recovered from a loss Saturday against Virginia to dominate No. 49 Boba Tzvetkova at No. 1. Exum, not at peak condition because of a virus, crushed Tzvetkova, 6-1, 6-1.
"[Exum's] got a phomenomenal desire to win," Macdonald said. "She's had tough matches with Tzvetkova but just killed her today. She did a hell of a job."
"I felt really bad before I went out there, but I thought, `well, it's my last match in the ACC, so I'll just give it my all and see what happens,"' Exum said. "I was really lucky. She just really got frustrated with herself [early in the match], and if it hadn't gone that way, I'm sure it would have been a lot tougher."
Neuman, No. 21 in the nation, also had no problem in cruising by Janice Durden, 6-1, 6-0, at No. 2.
Earlier this season, Neuman had won a 4-6, 7-6, 6-4 marathon over Durden in Duke's 6-3 win at Clemson, but this time the result was much different.
"[Neuman] just took it to her today," Macdonald said.
At No. 3, senior Susan Sommerville, ranked 13th, played an old rival from the juniors, Amy Young, and defeated her 6-3, 6-4, after having lost a tough three-setter to her in the earlier confrontation.
"Susan hadn't beaten Amy Young in college, I don't think, and beat her the most important time they play," Macdonald said.
At No. 4, sophomore Monica Mraz, ranked 25th, won in the strangest match of the day. Mraz dropped the first set 7-6 (7-3) to Shannon King. The players were back at the baseline exchanging deep looping groundstrokes in the strong wind, and that seemed to work to King's advantage.
After dropping the first game of the second set, Mraz began attacking more, King began to make more errors, and Mraz won the final 12 games to take the match by a 6-7, 6-1, 6-0 score.
"Monica did a remarkable job in a tough situation," Macdonald said. "You're down a set, you've lost to her before [earlier this season], the crowd's yelling, the team needs that match, and she just stepped up."
The matches Duke lost were close ones at No.'s 5 and 6. At five, freshman Lisa Pugliese, ranked 85th, dropped a 6-4, 7-5 decision to Emma Peetz, who did not lose a match in ACC play this season.
Pugliese was frustrated by the strong wind and Peetz's slow, methodical play. She fell behind 4-1 in the second set before fighting back to 5-5, but Peetz was too steady and pulled out the match.
Lyons lost her No. 6 match by a 6-4, 0-6, 7-5 margin to Jan Barrett. Lyons fought back from a 5-3 third-set deficit before falling.
The Blue Devils went into the doubles up 4-2, and Exum and Mraz quickly clinched the match with a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Tzvetkova and Young.
"[Clinching the match] really meant a lot to me," Exum said.
After that victory, the other two doubles, both of which Duke was winning, were cancelled.
In Friday's first round, Duke crushed N.C. State, 6-0. The Blue Devils did not come close to losing a set, as Exum, Neuman, Sommerville, Mraz, Lyons, and senior Tracey Hiete posted victories.
Saturday, Duke had a little more trouble with Virginia, but still won 5-1 without having to finish a doubles match.
Exum suffered Duke's only loss, a 6-1, 6-4 decision to No. 27 Jen Callen. Callen pounded the ball from the baseline and rarely missed in defeating Duke's senior.
"The girl played great," Macdonald said. "It happens. Every once in a while, the way [Exum] plays, she has her occasional off day. She plays a real aggressive, go-for-it style."
Next up for Duke is the NCAA Tournament, held May 12-20 in Gainesville, Fla. Duke is one of the favorites to take home the team title.
"I think we have a great shot to win it," Neuman said. "It's just going to depend on guts and willingness to win, and I think we showed we have that this weekend."
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