While the women's tennis team claimed the regular-season ACC title this weekend by dominating Georgia Tech and Clemson, Duke's Amanda Johnson accomplished an amazing feat, becoming the first Blue Devil since current professional Vanessa Webb to go undefeated in dual singles matches.
Johnson, ranked No. 19 in the nation, concluded her first season with a perfect 18-0 record in dual competition and a 32-3 record overall while playing the No. 2 and 3 slots in Duke's singles lineup.
"I try not to think about [going undefeated] too much and try to focus on our team," Johnson said. "But I'm definitely really excited, especially since this is my freshman year."
Johnson's two victories helped to lead second-ranked Duke (21-1) to a 6-1 win over the Yellow Jackets (11-9) and a 7-0 sweep of the Tigers (8-13), guaranteeing the Blue Devils the top seed in next weekend's ACC Championships.
Despite its dominating victories, coach Jamie Ashworth felt the team did not play its best tennis, especially Saturday.
"We didn't play that well against Georgia Tech," Ashworth said. "We wanted to make a statement before the ACC tournament, but I felt that we only did that against Clemson."
Ashworth's main concern was the faltering doubles lineup that had been solid throughout most of the season. The Blue Devils barely picked up the doubles point against an overmatched Georgia Tech team, as fourth-ranked Johnson and Megan Miller fell to unranked Bobbi Guthri and Jamie Wong 8-3. Duke did get a solid 8-4 victory from sophomores Hillary Adams and Katie Granson at the third spot, but Ansley Cargill and Kathy Sell struggled to a 9-8 win at No. 2 doubles.
"We just haven't been playing well with our usual pairings," Ashworth said. "I felt like we needed to mix things up a little bit because we have to be playing good doubles at the ACCs and the NCAAs."
Against Clemson, Ashworth paired Cargill with Miller at No. 1, Adams with Johnson at No. 2 and Granson with Sell at No. 3. All three teams picked up victories.
Despite these late-season changes, the players feel comfortable mixing up their lineup.
"We're still figuring out our best matchups," Sell said. "We've switched it up some during the season, so we're not worried. We're confident that the coaches will do what's best for our team."
Aside from doubles, the only other concern for Duke heading into the postseason is its health. Miller rested her sore back against Clemson, Adams has suffered from knee and shoulder pain throughout the year and Sell and Granson both played with sore shoulders. The Blue Devils know that injuries are an issue but they are determined not to let it interfere with their success.
"They've worked 10 months to get where they are now," Ashworth said. "They're going to be fine."
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