In the wake of the back-to-back national championships for the men's basketball team, local vendors printed t-shirts which read, "Duke basketball--We don't rebuild. We reload."
But after the fall of the men's basketball team last year, a better example of perennial greatness could be the top-10 women's tennis team.
After eight straight Atlantic Coast Conference championships and seven trips to the NCAA tournament in eight years, the women's tennis team is well-versed in the art of perpetuating greatness.
And now, after losing two of the most successful players in its history to graduation, the team once again faces the prospects of filling a gaping hole in its lineup for the upcoming season.
Monica Mraz and Wendy Lyons, both Trinity '95, were the team leaders on the court for much of their careers. Both earned All-America honors twice and the tandem teamed up to win a collegiate grand slam title, the 1994 Riviera All-American.
The duo capped their four years with a dramatic comeback from a 5-1 third set deficit against Wake Forest to capture the 1995 ACC title, their fourth ACC title in as many years.
"Filling their shoes will be a big task," second-year head coach Jody Hyden said. "We hope some people will step up as far as leadership and level of play go and assuming a bigger piece of the responsibility."
The loss of Mraz and Lyons can be countered by the potential of a cast of talented returning players and a trio of seasoned rookies.
Five players return to the Blue Devils from last year's squad, which advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament.
And of those five players, there are no seniors, giving the Duke team a young look. Both juniors Wendy Fix and Karen O'Sullivan boast two years of constant competition. The two have been a fixture in the Duke lineup since they arrived in Durham.
Helping their cause will be a threesome of rising sophomores. Luanne Spadea, Ellen McCance and Laura Zifer all return after erratic, but sometimes stellar freshman campaigns. Zifer, who plays with an aggressive tact, showed signs of stardom in her first year with the team as a solid player at the No. 3 position.
Which players step up to replace the critical positions filled by Mraz and Lyons has yet to be determined. But Hyden expects a solid effort from his returning players.
"That should be decided between the juniors on the team," Hyden said. "We expect Karen O'Sullivan to step in and give the team some leadership, though."
Whether the Blue Devils will field a complete team is still uncertain. Twenty-two-year-old Spadea is still suffering from a hyperactive thyroid condition.
"We've heard she's doing better," Hyden said. "She will be returning in the fall, according to her sister, but that's not for certain. The status on her is that most definitely she will come back, but we're not sure when--if that will be in the fall or what. We'll wait and see about her condition from the doctors."
Spadea, who is currently in Europe with her brother, professional men's player Vincent Spadea, could not be reached for comment.
Rounding out the rest of the team is a threesome of solid freshmen, all of whom boast an impressive track record.
From Florida, the team is gaining the services of Kristin Sanderson, the No. 12 player in junior tennis in the country.
To replace the lone Canadian on last year's team--Ontario native Mraz--Hyden has added Vanessa Webb, the No. 1 junior woman from Canada
The third recruit is Diana Spadea, sister of current Blue Devil Luanne Spadea. The new Spadea arrives in Duke via UCLA. She has decided to transfer to the team as a junior.
All three incoming freshmen have spent the summer playing in satellite pro tournaments.
With this threesome joining a cast of young players, the team rounds out its youngest team in some time.
"It's hard to say until the team gets back together in the fall to see who fits where and how the chemistry will go," Hyden said.
But if past seasons are any indicator, the Blue Devils should have little to worry about.
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