It might have been more exciting if it hadn't been so expected.
Undefeated in its last 98 Atlantic Coast Conference contests and owners of the 10 previous regular season and tournament conference crowns, Tuesday's match against eighth-place North Carolina (5-15, 1-6 in the ACC) was almost a given for the women's tennis team.
So when Duke (20-3, 8-0) walked off the courts in Chapel Hill with an 8-1 win and regular season title No. 11, there weren't any eyebrows raised, nor was there much fanfare. But for coach Jamie Ashworth, this may as well have been Duke's first title all over again.
"It feels great," he said. "A lot of people didn't know what to expect this year with five of seven starters gone. It shows what hard work and teamwork can do.
"On paper it might not be as good as last year and as teams in the past, but we showed what we can do when we come together and play as a team this year. This title means a lot to a lot of people on the team."
Maybe the only downside to the Blue Devils' domination over the past 10 years is that it has overshadowed their domination this year. In 48 ACC singles contests this season, Duke found itself on the losing side just twice-the most impressive team performance in school history.
"I don't know if we've ever dominated every team that way," Ashworth said, referring to the team's perfect conference record. "And what's more impressive than 8-0 was the way we did it, only losing two singles matches all year. It's a tribute to everyone on the team."
Ending the year with the 11th consecutive title is perhaps most important for seniors Ellen McCance and Laura Zifer, who nearly witnessed the end of the streak in a 5-4 victory over Wake Forest in 1995.
"[The championship] means a lot to everyone; it's something our coaches emphasize and is one of our main goals every year," McCance said. "Certainly freshman year we went through a big challenge, and the record went down to the wire. It's great to continue such a tradition; it's a tradition we value."
For freshmen Megan Miller and Kathy Sell and first-year transfer Karen Goldstein-all straight-set victors Tuesday-the win capped a nearly flawless first year with the Blue Devils.
"[My first year] couldn't have been better, to have won the ACC and gotten so close as a team," Miller said. "Team unity has been incredible. In my first year I have a real sense of belonging and being part of something big and wonderful. The one thing that could be better would be if we could win the NCAAs."
Tuesday's match also marked the end of an era in ACC women's tennis as North Carolina head coach Kitty Harrison, a veteran of 22 years, coached her final regular-season match.
"She was around at the beginning of women's tennis in the ACC being a real threat on the national scene," Ashworth said of the four-time conference champion. "We have dominated the last 11 years, but before that, UNC really put the conference on the map."
With regular season title No. 11 firmly in tow, the Blue Devils' eyes are fixed on the upcoming ACC Tournament.
"We're very prepared," Ashworth said. "These girls in their mind know they're the best team, and they'll take that confidence with them."
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