The women's soccer and field hockey teams came into 2003 with lofty expectations. Thus far, that confidence has been warranted.
Propelled by a win over perennial contender Texas, the Blue Devils--whose Katie Seibert was named to the Elite Team of the Week--have reached the No. 6 slot in soccerbuzz.com's most recent poll. They are eclipsed by just one other ACC school--No. 1 North Carolina.
The pollsters aren't quite as impressed with Duke in the coaches' poll (NSCAA), where coach Robbie Church's squad is ranked No. 10; or in the SoccerAmerica.com poll, which has Duke in the No. 20 slot.
Meanwhile, the field hockey team has been as dominant as advertised, crushing four opponents by the combined score of 27-0. Granted, Duke is yet to take on a team ranked in the top 20, but the statistic is impressive nonetheless.
The pristine record will come under severe pressure this weekend, when the defending national champions, No. 1 Wake Forest, come to Durham for an ACC showdown. Indeed, the ACC is overflowing with talent, as four of the top-5 teams hail from the five-team league (North Carolina is No. 2, Maryland is No. 3 and Virginia is No. 15).
Additionally, junior Chrissie Murphy was named the conference's player of the week after tallying a hat-trick over the weekend.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.