When the then-No. 5 Florida Gators chomped the women's tennis team down the national rankings from the top spot in a bitingly close 4-3 loss March 26, Duke sunk to No. 4, losing its roaring confidence - and with a good seven weeks remaining in its season.
But the Blue Devils followed up Sunday's drubbing of 43rd-ranked Florida State by hooking the No. 35 Texas Longhorns last night with a recuperating 4-3 drubbing in Austin, Texas that looked a whole lot closer than it ever was.
Facing easier competition for the second match in a row, Duke (18-2) jumped out to clinch the win by taking the first four points from doubles and early singles play before slowing up to give Texas (8-9) the final three, even sitting No. 2 singles player Amanda Johnson.
"It's nice to have some other teams," head coach Jamie Ashworth said, "especially coming to Austin. They always get a lot of people, and they've won two national championships in the last 10 years,
Johnson didn't rest early, though, as she and Julie DeRoo - ranked fourth in the country - set the tone with a 9-7 doubles victory. No. 11 Kelly McCain and Hillary Adams then grabbed an 8-6 win and the unranked duo of Katie Granson and Julia Smith blew away the defenseless Longhorns 8-0.
With the doubles point in the bag and the nation's second-ranked player in McCain ready to play under the lights, the Blue Devils were well on their way back to regaining their edge.
McCain and her power blew away Texas' Kendra Strohm, 6-0, 6-1, before the match shifted to the fifth and sixth slots.
Granson, who lost the deciding tiebreak against Florida but has looked virtually unbeatable since, rocked Lindsay Blau, 6-1, 6-0, setting the stage for the quick win. Adams would not disappoint, clinching the win with a dominating 6-2, 6-2 ripping of Longhorn Macey Breece.
"Hillary's playing really well right now," Ashworth said. "Today she just came in and did a great job to basically end it."
Saras Arasu would take her inconsequential match to a third frame, but DeRoo and Smith fell in straight sets that ended up drawing out an otherwise healthy day for Duke.
The Blue Devils take on Maryland and Virginia this Friday and Saturday, respectively, as they return home to climb back towards their national championship hopes. And though No. 1 didn't last for long the first time around, the ACC championships in nearby Raleigh loom a mere two weeks away, just before the national championships-and, naturally, tournament host Florida.
"I think we're more focused on getting rested and healthy to get done with the season, starting with conference play, ACC's and then, of course, the national championships," Ashworth said. "And I really think we've now put ourselves in good position to do that."
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