After a weekend off, the No. 4 women's tennis team took its dominating show on the road, downing South Carolina, 5-1, Monday afternoon, in Columbia, S.C.
The win was the eighth in nine outdoor matches this season for the Blue Devils and raised their record on the year to 15-3. The loss dropped the 27th-ranked Lady Gamecocks to 9-5.
"I think it was one of the most difficult matches we've played all year because the wind was blowing about 30 miles an hour," Duke coach Jamie Ashworth said. "But we did a good job with that-we stayed away from hitting near the sidelines, where the wind affects the ball the most. We lost the last time we went down there, and South Carolina embarrassed us, and I reminded [the team] of that before the match. We were not going to have a repeat of that."
Leading the way through the gusting winds for Duke was the nation's top-ranked player, freshman Karin Miller. Miller easily handled South Carolina's Valentine Vernaz at first singles, 6-2, 6-1, moving her record on the season to 33-4 and keeping her outdoor unbeaten streak intact.
Miller was ranked No. 2 at the time of the match, but was tabbed No. 1 in the new Rolex Collegiate Rankings released Tuesday. She responded to the news nonchalantly.
"I don't really think about rankings or anything... Being number one is not really an issue," Miller said.
Miller is however fully aware of the added attention that comes with the top billing.
"[When you are] number one in any sport, people are going to be after you," she said. "Opponents are going to go out with the attitude that, 'She's number one, I have nothing to lose.' So I'm going to go out every time and play my best."
Ashworth credited Miller's rise to her increased focus.
"I think the biggest thing that Karin has been doing well is mental-she's coming out to play every day now," he said. "She believes that whenever she walks on the court, that she is going to win. Sometimes Karin has trouble because she has concentration lapses, and I think she is doing a better job of focusing on her match."
This marks the first time that Miller has earned the No. 1 ranking, but it is the second time this year that a Blue Devil has held the position. Sophomore Vanessa Webb claimed the top spot in the fall.
"I don't think the ranking is going to affect [Karin] at all," Ashworth said. "She knows that the rankings don't mean anything until May 25, so right now it does it make a difference where you are. I think it is good for the rest of the team, because this is the second time this year that we've had someone be number one, and I think the rest of the players can see what it takes to get that ranking, the work that other people put in."
Monday, Webb continued to compete at second singles, where she has played since returning from a shoulder injury in mid-March. Webb was challenged by the Lady Gamecocks' Celine Regnier, but came away with the 6-3, 7-6 win.
In third singles, senior Luanne Spadea, now ranked 53rd nationally, easily dispatched Karolina Bulat, 6-2, 6-1.
Senior captain Karen O'Sullivan was equally as effective at No. 4 singles, dismissing USC's Tobi Rakic, 6-2, 6-2.
No. 78 Diana Spadea rounded out the Duke singles victories with a win at No. 5 singles, where she downed Tracy Kotseos with little trouble, 6-1, 6-1.
The Blue Devils' lone loss came at sixth singles, where freshman Brooke Siebel fell to Sophie Ljucovic, 7-5, 6-4. Ashworth used Siebel instead of sophomore Kristin Sanderson in order to garner some added experience for the relatively unseasoned freshman.
"Brooke played probably the best she has played in a month and a half, and that's good news for the whole team," Ashworth said.
With the outcome of the match already decided, the teams elected to forgo the doubles matches.
The Blue Devils take to the court this afternoon to put their 85-match Atlantic Coast Conference winning streak on the line against archrival UNC.
"Any time you play UNC, you want to set the tone early-you don't want to let them get into the match at all," Ashworth said. "I hope to let them all know tomorrow before the match what the rivalry is all about."
The match will take place at Duke Tennis Stadium beginning at 2 p.m. and will coincide with the men's tennis match against N.C. State.
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