The independent news organization of Duke University
Playing at home for the first time in nearly a month, the Blue Devils held things down in Durham.
Duke started its weekend off on the losing end of a Final Four rematch before closing its time in Seattle on a high note.
Seeing that the Blue Devils have been playing at such a high level, it seems like high time to take a look at what (and who) exactly is making this year’s team so good.
The Blue Devils dominated Harvard, Georgetown and N.C. Central over the weekend, as Beck, Shvets and others showcased the skill that has helped Duke to a No. 4 national ranking and undefeated start to the season.
The Blue Devils found their clincher in senior Georgia Drummy, who has been battling a back injury all year after earning All-American honors last season.
Dominant play up and down the roster lifted Duke to back-to-back 4-0 wins Sunday.
“Today was a great win,” graduate student Cameron Morra said after the match, “but it’s only the first one and we don’t want to peak today. So it’s all about what we can do.”
If the sixth-ranked Blue Devils are to build on that success, they will have to do it with a new-look roster.
Coming in at No. 5: Duke women's tennis had a special spring season, complete with an ACC title and Final Four appearance.
Duke senior Chloe Beck defeated North Carolina’s Anika Yarlagadda in straight sets (6-1, 6-3) Sunday in the consolation championship.
Two Blue Devils faced off in the championship match of the A1 draw at the ITA Fall Regional Championship Oct. 17, where the entire Duke women’s tennis team turned in a stellar performance.
When students start at Duke, they often enter with great expectations. Expectations of immediate academic validation that they deserve to be here. Expectations that they will continue to stand out among their peers. Expectations that their past successes will correspond directly to future endeavors.
A few weeks removed from a Final Four run, the Blue Devils earned some conference recognition, beginning with their head coach.
Just days ago, Duke's whole roster was competing in Champaign, Ill. But after a loss in the national semifinal to Oklahoma, just one remained on the rainy courts at Illinois—junior Chloe Beck.
With just one match to play in Saturday evening’s Final Four showdown in Champaign, Ill., and Duke locked in a 3-3 tie with Oklahoma, the Blue Devils found themselves in familiar territory.
Every slight edge there was to take, the Sooners took, and in the most crucial battles, they proved ready to fight, ultimately sending Duke home with its championship dreams cut short.
In a Friday evening thriller under the bright lights in Champaign, Ill., Duke defeated in-state rival N.C. State to secure its spot in the Final Four.
It’s no secret that Duke is having a successful season. Its 16-3 regular-season showing included five ranked victories. It won the ACC championship. None of that, however, compares to the task at hand: the national title. And from achieving that, they are just three matchups away.
Duke continued its dominant NCAA tournament run Friday with a 4-1 defeat of Georgia at Ambler Tennis Stadium in Durham.
No. 3-seed Duke hosted the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament at Sheffield Indoor Tennis Center Friday and Saturday, where it delivered losses to Quinnipiac and Old Dominion, respectively.