In three years, Megan Miller and Kathy Sell worked their way to the top two slots on the team. Then came two potential All-America freshmen, and both seniors slid down the team's ladder.
But in a sport often characterized by individuals consumed with their own best interests, neither complained when coach Jamie Ashworth moved them to the middle of the lineup.
Together, Sell and Miller have formed one of the most selfless and successful senior classes in Duke history, forging ahead even when it meant relinquishing their share of the spotlight. Yesterday afternoon, however, the attention was back on Duke's seniors, who have led the Blue Devils to their best start ever and are coming dangerously close to eclipsing 100 victories in their four-year careers.
"It's not easy being pushed down in the lineup, but it was big of them to handle it the way they did," said Ashworth, whose seniors rounded out their
The road was not always easy for Miller and Sell, who overlooked their personal differences to become successful team captains. In their careers, Sell and Miller went from teammates to close friends, each picking up a couple useful tips from their classmate.
From Miller, who played at Wimbledon's fabled All-England Lawn, Tennis & Croquet Club at age 14, Sell learned about the game; Sell, on the other hand, gave Miller a few lessons on competitiveness, rising to No. 2 all-time on Duke's win charts with less talent than many Blue Devils to come before her.
"Kathy's one of the most inspiring people I've been around," Miller said. "I'm honored to have her on the team. She has given my Duke experience so much more. When you feel badly, she lifts you up."
Different paths led Miller and Sell to Duke, and different paths will likely lead them away from the program they have established as a perennial national power.
Miller, then the 19th-ranked junior in the world, arrived on East Campus in 1997 well aware of the game's glamour scene, having already clashed with the likes of Martina Hingis. When her time at Duke runs out, Miller will test her hand at the professional level once again, but she hopes for a career in Hollywood if tennis does not pan out.
Sell, meanwhile, began her Duke career with more modest credentials, boasting a national ranking below Miller's world ranking. Her future will also include professional tennis, but Sell says she will seek a job with adidas in Oregon, secluded q from the glitz of the big screen.
Nonetheless, the two seniors share one thing-they have raised Duke to unprecedented heights, equaling the program's best start ever with an 18-1 record.
Catherine Sullivan contributed to this story.
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