Things look a little different for the women's tennis team this year.
Joining the old cast of Atlantic Coast Conference champions are a new head coach, a new assistant coach and three new freshmen. Yet in spite of all these changes, tennis should be business as usual for Duke this spring.
While the team took a little time in the fall to adjust to its new head coach, Jody Hyden, the winning tradition present in recent years should continue this spring as the Blue Devils look to build upon their seven consecutive ACC championships.
This year's lineup features a host of experienced players, including senior Monica Mraz, who is currently ranked No. 6 in the nation. Her classmate, Wendy Lyons, has a national ranking of No. 27. Last fall Mraz and Lyons teamed up to capture the doubles draw at the All-American collegiate grand slam tournament.
Yet the impressive list of talent hardly ends there. Newcomer Luanne Spadea -- who is already ranked No. 20 -- has played on the pro tour for the past three years as an amateur. She should make an immediate impact on this already talented team. Another freshman who adds to the power of the Blue Devil lineup is Laura Zifer, who is ranked No. 51 after the preseason tournaments.
Duke also boasts two returning sophomores who saw considerable success and playing time last year in Karen O'Sullivan and Wendy Fix.
"All our players will play a key part in this team's success," Hyden said. "There is really not a lot of emphasis on which position they play. All of them count equally."
Kelli-Anne Johnston, who transferred to Duke from Southern Methodist before the 1993-94 school year, may never be able to play for the Blue Devils. She suffered a back injury while playing tennis at SMU, and then sat out a year after transferring because the Mustangs would not release her from eligibility. Hyden termed her injury "career-ending."
This weekend, Duke faces a pair of foes from Virginia -- Old Dominion and William & Mary. The Monarchs of ODU should not pose much of a problem for the sixth-ranked Blue Devils.
"Old Dominion is a young team and they are one of the lower-ranked teams," Hyden said. "However, it is our first match and their first match. So we'll just have to figure them out as we go."
Duke has learned over the years how to handle less-talented opponents, as evidenced by its 59-match ACC winning streak. However, to combat the tendency to overlook an opponent, the team sets smaller goals and remains focused during these situations.
"Tennis is a team sport, but it is also an individual one," Hyden said. "All of the players take a lot of pride in their matches.
"We also like to break down the matches and set `mini-goals,' like not dropping any points in a game or not dropping any games in a set."
The Blue Devils will more than likely find a strong opponent in their other Virginian competitor, William & Mary. Ranked No. 26 in the preseason, the Tribe could pose a threat to Duke's chances of opening the season on a winning note.
"William & Mary is a very good team," Hyden said. "They could easily be in the top 20."
Even though the semester has barely started, the team is ready and excited to be playing. The players had conditioning programs to keep them in shape over the break and have practiced for a week and a half since returning to school.
"The practices [since the break] have been really good," Hyden said. "The girls are really focused. It is very good for us to start competing. They're excited to play different people and to play as a team."
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