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 Oct. 2-8:
Women’s soccer
After a tense 1-1 tie at Virginia, No. 22 Duke came into the week hoping to right the ship. In a Thursday matchup against Pittsburgh, however, the hope for redemption seemed lost. The Blue Devils (5-4-3, 1-2-3 in the ACC) fell 2-1 to the Panthers, the first loss in program history against that squad. Duke’s schedule did not get any easier, returning home Sunday to face off against No. 1 North Carolina. Only then did the Blue Devils finally get their confidence boost. Duke and the Tar Heels battled to a 1-1 draw behind a last-minute goal off the head of sophomore Kat Rader. Senior keeper Leah Freeman came up big as well, saving a penalty kick to keep her team in the contest. Duke will remain at home as it faces off against No. 9 Clemson Friday in hopes of riding the momentum to a second ACC victory. -Mackenzie Sheehy
Men’s soccer
The 14th-ranked Blue Devils experienced regression on the road this weekend. After its thrilling defeat of reigning national champion Syracuse last Friday, Duke (6-3-1, 2-3) fell 1-0 on the road to No. 11 Notre Dame Saturday night. Despite firing 13 shots at the Fighting Irish, the Blue Devils could not crack the home team’s defense, so Notre Dame’s early goal went unanswered and Duke watched its record change to 6-3-1. The Blue Devils have a quick turnaround on this one: They’ll look to make up for their weekend back home against Elon at 7 p.m. Tuesday before a big conference matchup against N.C. State Friday night. -Sophie Levenson
Field hockey
No. 4 Duke earned its ninth- and 10th-straight wins, the longest in program history, on the road against Virginia and James Madison this weekend. The Blue Devils (12-1, 4-0) started off aggressive against the Dukes Sunday, jumping out to a 3-0 lead behind goals from Logan Clouser, Brynn Crouse and Hannah Miller, eventually winning 4-2. On Friday, Duke earned its longest win streak under head coach Pam Bustin with a comeback overtime victory against No. 8 Virginia, overcoming a 1-0 deficit behind senior Charlie van Oirschot’s late-game heroics. Duke next faces Louisville and the Cavaliers again back home this coming Friday and Sunday, respectively. -Suresh Kannoth
Volleyball
It was a mixed bag for the Blue Devils this weekend against their ACC opponents. Duke (11-6, 2-4) started off strong, and was able to collect a win against Notre Dame Friday 3-1. It was a team effort, as Gracie Johnson recorded her 23rd career double-double — 19 kills and 13 digs — while Rylie Kadel stepped up to fill the void of Jess Robinson. However, the unranked Blue Devils fell to No. 6 Louisville Sunday afternoon in straight sets, who soared past Duke with eight aces. The Blue Devils continue their ACC competition Friday at Boston College before traveling up to Syracuse, N.Y., Sunday. -Anna Newberry
Women’s golf
It was a productive week for the Blue Devils — especially graduate student Emma McMyler — at the Windy City Collegiate in Golf, Ill., Monday and Tuesday, Duke finished the two-day showpiece tied for fourth place at a clean 21-under, just behind Oregon and Northwestern, and well behind UCLA, who won the event in record-breaking fashion. McMyler was the standout for the Blue Devils, finishing just three strokes shy of the individual title courtesy of a monster -5 final day, while sophomore Andie Smith (T-14) also impressed. Up next for Duke is the Jackson T. Stephens Cup in Dallas from Monday through Wednesday. -Andrew Long
Women’s tennis
The Blue Devils spent the week competing in the ITA All-American Championships in Cary, N.C., and while they did not see an abundance of success, the matches were important trials to build from. Without two of its top singles players from last year in Chloe Beck and Cameron Morra, Duke will need new players to step up, and both junior Emma Jackson and freshman Shavit Kimchi showed promise. The No. 36 player in the country, Jackson has continued to grow from already impressive freshman and sophomore campaigns, as she notched her 50th career singles win Tuesday. Kimchi, on the other hand, is just getting started, and she is already becoming a force to be reckoned with. The Sdey Hemed, Israel, native picked up another ranked win against No. 29 Nicole Khirin, taking the second set in a tiebreak. Duke will look for sustained success as its fall schedule continues with ITA Regional Championships Oct.19-23 down the road in Chapel Hill. -Dom Fenoglio
Men’s tennis
Duke had a successful week at the ITA All-American Championships in Tulsa, Okla., being represented in both singles and doubles. Sophomore Pedro Rodenas, coming off a remarkable freshman campaign, was a seed in the tournament and advanced to the round of 16. The No. 18 player in the country recorded two ranked wins against No. 49 Alex Martinez of Oklahoma and No. 27 Iiro Vasa of San Diego, before falling to No. 8 Iñaki Montes de la Torre of Virginia in three sets. On the doubles side, the Blue Devils’ experienced tandem of graduates Michael Heller and Andrew Zhang once again performed well on the national stage, advancing to the quarterfinals with two ranked wins. However, Montes stood in the way once again, pairing up with James Hopper to stifle Duke’s team in three sets. Next up for the Blue Devils is the ITA Regional Championships Oct. 20-23 in Cary, N.C.
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