Sportswrap is your one-stop shop for everything Duke athletics, where we’ll recap how each of Duke’s sports currently in competition performed over the last week and give a brief look ahead. Here’s our recap for the week of March 8-15.
Men’s basketball
Well, a lot happened this week for the Blue Devils. To sum it all up: a positive COVID-19 test knocked Duke out of the ACC tournament and then the Blue Devils missed the NCAA tournament, ending their season. You can check this out for more details. -Evan Kolin
Baseball
Duke fell to No. 9 East Carolina 11-5 last Tuesday, before its weekend series with N.C. State was cancelled due to COVID-19 issues within the Wolpack’s program. The Blue Devils (6-6, 3-3 in the ACC) continue play this Tuesday against N.C. Central before traveling to Notre Dame this weekend. -Kolin
Men’s lacrosse
No. 2 Duke continued its undefeated start to the season with dominating wins against High Point and Jacksonville this week. The team’s 27 goals against High Point were the most the Blue Devils have scored against a Division I opponent since 1989. Freshman Brennan O’Neill scored five goals in each game, while graduate transfer Michael Sowers led the team with 12 total points across the two contests. Duke (8-0) will open ACC competition against No. 5 Syracuse March 25. -Sasha Richie
Women’s lacrosse
Following their worst loss of the season against No. 2 Syracuse, the eighth-ranked Blue Devils were back to their usual selves against High Point this past Thursday, shooting out to an early lead and never looking back en route to a 19-9 win. Duke’s offensive versatility was on full display, with nine Blue Devils notching a goal in the game. The Blue Devils (5-2, 1-2) travel to Virginia to face off against the ninth-ranked Cavaliers twice this weekend: Friday and Sunday. -Jonathan Browning
Indoor track and field
Seniors Erin Marsh and Leigha Torino competed in the NCAA Indoor Championships, with the former securing third-place in the pentathlon and 12th-place in the 60-meter hurdles and the latter finishing ninth in the 800-meter run. Both will now turn their focus to the outdoor track season, which starts this weekend at the Bob Davidson Invitational. -Kolin
Women’s tennis
Following a 5-2 loss at Georgia Tech that snapped its win streak, No. 6 Duke bounced back to defeat Clemson 6-1. The Blue Devils (10-2, 5-1) will take on No. 1 North Carolina this Friday in Chapel Hill. -Sonali Harris
Softball
No. 19 Duke swept Virginia in a four-game set this past weekend, wrecking the Cavaliers in Games 1, 2 and 4 but needing a five-run comeback and ninth-inning Caroline Jacobsen homer to walk off an instant classic Saturday night. The Blue Devils (19-1, 8-1) take on Syracuse next weekend. -Em Adler
Men’s soccer
Duke lost 2-0 Friday night to Notre Dame. The Blue Devils have done an excellent job winning the possession battle, but have struggled to capitalize on their scoring opportunities all season. Look for Duke’s strikers to get back on track this Friday at home against No. 8 Pittsburgh. -Cameron DeChurch
Women’s golf
No. 5 Duke put together a strong performance at the Valspar Augusta Invitational over the weekend, finishing second at 27-under. Individually, the Blue Devils were led by top-10 finishes from freshman Phoebe Brinker, junior Gina Kim and senior Jaravee Boonchant. Duke is back in action this Saturday at The Big Four Challenge in nearby Raleigh. -Max Rego
Volleyball
Duke fell in straight sets twice to No. 13 Louisville this past Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Junior Ade Owokoniran and sophomore Gracie Johnson led the Blue Devils with 15 and 14 kills, respectively, but it wasn’t enough. Duke (8-7, 6-4) faces off against Miami and No. 19 Pittsburgh this Friday and Sunday. -Olivia Wivestad
Cross country
Duke competed at the NCAA Championships this past Monday, with the men finishing 16th and the women finishing 27th. Senior Alex Miley led the men with a 68th-place finish, while fellow senior Michaela Reinhart finished 112th for the women. This marks the end of the Blue Devils’ season. -Kolin
Teams that did not compete this week:
Fencing’s competition this past Sunday at North Carolina was postponed due to COVID-19 protocols. Qualifying Blue Devils will compete at the NCAA Championships March 25-28.
Swimming and diving was not scheduled to compete as a team this past week. Qualifying Blue Devils will compete at the NCAA Championships March 17-20 (women) and March 24-27 (men).
Wrestling was also not scheduled to compete this past week. Duke’s lone qualifier, redshirt junior Josh Finesilver, will compete at the NCAA Championships March 18-20.
Men’s tennis’ matches against Boston College (scheduled for this past Sunday) and No. 1 North Carolina (scheduled for this Wednesday) were rescheduled to April 2 and 4, respectively, due to Duke’s “health and safety protocols.” The Blue Devils take on Virginia and Virginia Tech this weekend.
Women’s soccer’s scheduled match against Coastal Carolina this past Saturday was moved to this Wednesday. It will be the Blue Devils’ only game this week.
Rowing was not scheduled to compete this past week. The Blue Devils will return to competition March 26 at the Virginia Invite.
Men’s golf is currently competing at the Valspar Collegiate this Monday and Tuesday.
Field hockey was not scheduled to compete this past week. Duke returns to action this weekend against Wake Forest and Liberty.
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