It was business as usual for the women's tennis team this weekend as the Blue Devils extended their Atlantic Coast Conference win streak to 95 games with dominating wins over Maryland on Saturday and Virginia on Sunday.
Battling tornado-like 30 mile-per-hour winds in College Park, No. 2 Duke (13-2, 4-0 in the ACC) came out strong and took it to the Terrapins, taking a 7-2 victory. The Blue Devils won five of the six singles matches to clinch the team match, then took two of the three doubles matches just for good measure.
"Maryland was probably the toughest match we've had, elements-wise," coach Jamie Ashworth said. "It was good for us, because at the NCAA Championships, it may very well be like that."
Vanessa Webb, currently the fifth-ranked player in the country, echoed her coach's sentiments.
"Nobody played that well, but nobody could have," said Webb, who didn't struggle herself in defeating Meg Griffin, 6-2, 6-0. "It was more a matter of survival, like, 'Let's win and get out of here.'
"The wind is an equalizer. It helps the underdog more than it helps us. But we were much stronger than them. We knew we were better, and they knew we were better."
The only slip-ups against the Terrapins came at No. 2 singles (Kristin Sanderson) and No. 2 doubles (Sanderson and Megan Miller) for the Blue Devils.
"Maryland's used to playing in that kind of weather," senior Karen Goldstein said. "I don't think Kristin would have lost in normal conditions."
The next day at Virginia (9-5, 1-2 in the ACC), Duke did itself one better, closing out the Cavaliers in impressive fashion, 8-1. The Blue Devils won the first eight matches of the contest before freshman Kathy Sell and sophomore Brooke Seibel lost to Leslie Cook and Christie Schweer, 9-7.
"When you've won eight matches, and you're up 8-0, it's tough to keep up," Ashworth said. "That's something we've got to work on."
Duke dominated all six singles matches without dropping a single set. Goldstein had the most difficult time, but the 107th-ranked junior was able to beat the Cavaliers' Leslie Cook at fourth singles, 7-6, 6-3.
"Today I think we just went out and took care of business," Goldstein said. "It wasn't amazing, but it was just solid tennis."
The first two doubles teams for Duke each beat their Virginia opponents by 8-1 scores to gather the final two victories for the Blue Devils.
Ashworth said that he has been ecstatic at the play of his freshmen this season. Megan Miller, currently No. 68 in the country, has been very reliable at third singles, and Kathy Sell has been dominating her fifth-singles opponents, compiling a 9-2 record at the position.
"Kathy's goal is to be the best No. 5 in the country," Ashworth said. "I think she's proven that she is."
Against Virginia, Sell soundly defeated Schweer, 6-2, 6-3.
"When I go out there, I should feel that I should win every match at No. 5," Sell said. "If each of us is the best in the country at our number, then we'll be the best team in the country going into nationals, and that's where it counts the most."
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