After a tough 4-3 road loss to No. 5 Florida March 26, the women's tennis team rebounded with an easy 6-1 win over Florida State Sunday afternoon.
The victory improved Duke's record to 17-2 on the season, while the Seminoles, coming off a 6-1 loss to UNC Saturday, fell to 13-7.
Though the Blue Devils were not expecting any real threat from FSU, head coach Jamie Ashworth said he was still pleased with the quality of the win.
"We were really relaxed," he said. "Everyone was loose, and that was good."
With a combined score of 73-14, Duke cruised to wins in almost every singles match, none of which went to three sets. The team's only loss came in singles play, with FSU's Amberly Tantee defeating freshman Julia Smith 6-1, 7-5 at third singles.
Sophomore Kelly McCain, ranked No. 2 nationally, did not play singles against the Seminoles, which Ashworth said was intended to
"We're trying to find the right combination in terms of having the right people in our lineup, but we're also trying to get people rested," Ashworth said.
Junior Amanda Johnson, who defeated Christina Denny in two sets in the top singles spot, said her team had some trouble at the beginning of the match in doubles.
"Our goal was to go out and win solidly," she said. "I think, for the most part, we did that in singles, but not so much in doubles.... We weren't fired up coming out there. But I think we did a good job of turning that around over the course of the match."
Though one of Duke's strongest aspects is its doubles teams--which have won their point in every match but one this year--they are still vulnerable, Ashworth said.
"We have to come out with a good mindset when we're playing doubles," he said.
With McCain out of the singles lineup, senior Hillary Adams was able to gain some needed experience in preparation for the NCAA tournament coming up in May. Adams played singles for the third time this season against FSU.
However, Adams said she was not worried about her lack of experience in match play, and showed her confidence with a straight set victory.
"I've been playing well in practice, so I wasn't nervous during the match," she said.
Duke will take to the road Wednesday to face the Texas Longhorns in an out-of-conference match. Ashworth and Johnson agreed that overall, the team is in good shape heading into their next competition.
"We all have to keep working on going after shots--which we did well in this match--and controlling the point," Johnson said.
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