The women's tennis team extended its winning streak to four matches as the 10th-ranked Blue Devils defeated Clemson Saturday, 7-1.
Duke (11-4, 3-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) continued to get consistent play from all of its performers. Injuries have cut the team's roster to six players, but the group has jelled during the last week and a half while showing remarkable improvement.
"We've accepted the fact that we have six players," head coach Jody Hyden said. "We're confident that we can get the job done."
The team's two veterans, seniors Monica Mraz and Wendy Lyons, set the tone for the day's matches as they cruised to easy victories. Mraz, ranked sixth in the nation, crushed Jan Barrett, 6-2, 6-3, while Lyons, No. 36 in the country, dumped Emma Peetz, 6-3, 6-1.
While Mraz and Lyons had few problems winning, their victories were overshadowed by freshman Laura Zifer's triumph. Zifer fought Karolina Jutkiewicz for well over three hours before finally coming out on top, 6-7, 7-5, 6-3. According to Zifer, the additional time she spent in practice during spring break may have made the difference Saturday.
"I had been doing extra workouts to improve my endurance," Zifer said. "I probably wasn't consciously thinking that it would help me if I got into a three-and-and-half-hour match, but it turned out that I was ready when it happened."
In addition to winning the top three singles matches, the Blue Devils also grabbed the No. 5 and No. 6 singles contests, as well as both doubles matches. According to Hyden, that feat demonstrated the team's depth and determination.
"The girls have done really well at realizing that we have to do what's right for the team, and that they have to put personal rankings aside," Hyden said. "Not everyone can play No. 1, even though everyone wants to."
The team's recent hot streak has marked a major turnaround. The Blue Devils struggled mightily during a stretch from late February through mid-March, when they played several matches with only five players and dropped three of their five meetings.
But in the middle of spring break, the squad started coming together, and things began to go Duke's way. The Blue Devils broke out of their funk with a win at Florida State, and they continued their outstanding play with consecutive wins over No. 13 Southern Cal and fourth-ranked Texas.
"When we beat Texas, it showed us that the six players we have are a great team," Lyons said. "It gave us confidence on the national level."
Next up for Duke is Wake Forest, arguably the toughest obstacle in the Blue Devils' quest for an ACC title. The Demon Deacons, ranked ninth nationally, are more highly touted than any of Duke's conference rivals have been in recent years. As a result, the Blue Devils needed this weekend's win to give them momentum heading into Tuesday's showdown in Winston-Salem.
"One of the big things about [beating Clemson] is that it sets a good tone going into Wake," Lyons said. "We have respect for Wake, but we want to beat them."
Based on how they have been playing lately, the Blue Devils think that anything may be within their grasp. If they keep up their recent level of play, they could come to expect victories on a scale much bigger than any conference win.
"We can win the national championship with the six we have playing," Lyons said. "We could beat anybody in the nation with the six players we have."
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