GREENSBORO, N.C. - Ever since last season's loss in the Elite Eight to ninth-seeded Arkansas, the women's basketball team has waited for its chance at redemption.
Tonight, Duke finally gets that chance in Greensboro Coliseum to earn the program's elusive first trip to the Final Four.
But the Blue Devils may have to be fitted with the most unlikely of slippers and dance through the most treacherous of obstacles-the vaunted Lady Volunteers.
"We're excited," coach Gail Goestenkors said. "After that first game [against Tennessee in December], I told our players I wish we get the chance to play Tennessee again. So here it is, I got my wish. So you've got to be careful what you wish for."
Should the Blue Devils (27-6) pull off the upset, not only would they have dethroned three-time defending champion Tennessee (31-2), but do something no one else has ever done-end Chamique Holdsclaw's season with a loss.
The Tennessee senior captured the New York state title every year while starring for Christ the King High School in New York and has carried her team to the National Championship her first three years at Tennessee.
If her recent games serve as any indication, Holdsclaw has no plans to end the string of runs to the ultimate prize in her sport. In Tennessee's first three NCAA tournament games, Holdsclaw has torched the opposition for 23, 39 (a tournament-high) and 27 points.
Duke sophomore Georgia Schweitzer will have the unenviable task of defending the four-time All-American in tonight's game. In the first meeting between the two teams-which Tennessee won 74-60-Schweitzer did just that, holding Holdsclaw to 12 points on 6-of-15 shooting.
"She's a great player," Schweitzer said. "She's going to get her shots, she's going to score her points, you're not just going to shut her down. Hopefully, you can keep her from just completely dominating the game."
If Schweitzer and her teammates can contain Holdsclaw and company, the Blue Devils may finally earn that trip to the Final Four that slipped from their grasp last season when they fell to the unlikely Cinderella Razorbacks.
"That was a very frustrating time for all of us, and it still lingers with us, and probably always will," Goestenkors said. "[The Final Four] wasn't something we had focused on all year. It dawned on us, and our hands got tight. I feel like this year, there's a different feel about us. We've talked about winning the National Championship from day one."
Tonight, the Blue Devils can perhaps take the most difficult and important step toward that ultimate destination.
Note: Tickets still remain for tonight's contest, slated for a 9:07 p.m. tip. The tickets, which are $10 for students with a Duke ID and $15 for adults, can be purchased at the door or by calling (336) 373-2700.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.