Duke senior Jackie Carleton posted a career-best finish at the ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships in Columbus, Ohio, this past weekend by reaching the round of 16.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Blue Devils capped a successful fall season with a solid performance at the Kitty Harrison Invitational in Chapel Hill.
Carleton, who had qualified for the ITA Championships by reaching the finals of the ITA Southeast Regionals Oct. 17, fell in second round action to third-seeded Kristi Miller of Georgia Tech, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.
"She should not be satisfied with that [result], but it was her best finish in a Grand Slam event," head coach Jamie Ashworth said. "This will give her confidence that she can play at that level."
Carleton had beaten Ohio State's Caitlin O'Keefe, 6-3, 6-4, Thursday for her first win of the tournament.
At the Kitty Harrison Invitational, a tournament that featured a number of ACC schools including Virginia Tech and North Carolina, the team had mixed success in its singles matches, finishing 9-9, but shined in doubles play throughout the weekend, amassing an 8-1 record.
"We got to play matches against eight different teams," Ashworth said. "Our doubles all weekend were really good. We changed some teams around, but the stuff we've been working on was put into use."
The Duke team now has more than two months off before it begins its spring season Jan. 13.
"This is the perfect time to work on stuff and change peoples' games," Ashworth said.
This fall Duke showed improvement in its doubles play, which was a weakness for the Blue Devils last season.
"We can't let the last three months go to waste," Ashworth said.
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