Coming off a 10-day rest and playing on the mainland for the first time in three weeks, rust was a concern when the Blue Devils faced William and Mary Sunday. The Tribe’s hot start only added to the worry, as the hosts stole the doubles point and put pressure on Duke’s singles lineup.
The No. 7 Blue Devils (12-2) responded ideally, however, sweeping all six singles matches en route to a lopsided 6-1 victory in Williamsburg, Va.
“It was good for us to get back into the swing of things,” head coach Jamie Ashworth said. “We play better when we are in match mode.”
William and Mary (5-9) came out much more match-ready than its favored counterparts, and the Tribe dominated second and third doubles 8-3 and 8-2, respectively. That guaranteed back-to-back doubles losses for defending national champion Duke.
Just as it has all season, though, the team’s vaunted singles roster answered the call. It didn’t take long to level the score, as Elizabeth Plotkin quickly defeated her opponent, 6-0, 6-2. Shortly after, Duke seized the lead on the heels of another win, this time by Reka Zsilinszka. Freshman Mary Clayton added a 6-2, 6-4 victory to push the Blue Devils further ahead and add to the momentum.
After falling behind, William and Mary dug its heels in and made sure that the easy wins were over for Duke. Junior Ellah Nze had to grind out a tough victory at No. 1, eventually prevailing 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to close out the Tribe’s upset hopes.
“We didn’t play great in doubles,” Ashworth said. “But we never trailed in singles.”
Wednesday, Duke will have another chance to round into form, this time against an elite opponent. The Blue Devils return to Ambler Stadium for their first home contest since beating North Carolina State Feb. 25.
Northwestern, the team they beat for last year’s national title, will stand in their way.
“They won the national indoors and I’m sure they know we knocked them off a year ago, and they are coming in with a lot to play for,” Ashworth said. “And we are, too.”
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