The Blue Devils' season thus far has been one marked by disappointing defeat but also uplifting success.
After closing out the fall season with a monumental win at Stanford, Duke began the spring by placing 14th and 16th in its first two events.
"The main thing is that we got off to a slow start during the first few tournaments because of a poor winter," head coach Rod Myers said. "We didn't have much time to practice."
But as the weather began to warm, so did the Blue Devils. During the first weeks of the spring, Duke traveled to Georgia and played in both the Schenkel/EZ Go Invitational and the Cleveland/Augusta State Invitational. After each tournament, the Blue Devils returned home not only with top-five finishes, but also with renewed confidence.
"We have beaten a lot of top-10 teams these last few weeks," Myers said. "We feel like we are playing at the top of our games."
This newfound success has been supplemented by the good news that thir star player, sophomore Ryan Blaum, will hopefully return to the line-up this week after missing the entire spring with a hip fracture. The consensus around the team, with Blaum back and sophomores Nathan Smith and Alex Wilson having stepped up in his absence, is that the Blue Devils can compete with anyone.
"When we get Ryan back, there is no doubt about it," Smith said. "We are one of the top-three teams in the nation."
Psyched and hungry for competition, Duke returns to North Carolina this weekend to play in the Intercollegiate at MacGregor Downs Country Club in Raleigh. In pursuit of the spring's first victory, the Blue Devils will have to battle against a strong field including both of their instate rivals--N.C. State and North Carolina. Fortunately though, both of these teams have not been much of a match for the Blue Devils the last few weeks. In each of the last two events, Duke has defeated both the Tar Heels and the Wolfpack by at least 10 shots.
As the Blue Devils prepare for this year's final regular season tournament, talk among the players has shifted from how to salvage the season to winning the ACC Championship and competing for the national championship.
"I want to win Coach Myers an ACC Championship," Smith said. "I think this is one of the best opportunities he has for a championship, and I would love to come through for him."
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