The women's tennis team started off its spring season with a rude awakening.
The second-ranked Blue Devils (1-1) were dealt a shocking blow in their dual match debut as No. 10 William & Mary (4-0) pulled out a 5-4 upset on Friday afternoon. Duke bounced back on Saturday, shutting out No. 17 (0-1) Kansas 9-0.
"It was a great wakeup call," Duke coach Jamie Ashworth said of the loss. "I think our girls were in cruising mode. We realized it early, which is good, but we need to put more work and intensity into our practice sessions. It was a match we still should have won easily."
The doubles teams decided the match between the Blue Devils and the Tribe, as the two teams split the singles. With the score tied at three apiece, victory appeared to be in sight for Duke after its No. 1 doubles team of Vanessa Webb and Karen Goldstein-teaming up for just the second time since November-defeated Tari Ann Toro and Laura Tsaggeris, 8-5.
The last two doubles matches went to William & Mary, however. Carolijn van Rossum and Delphine Troch handed Duke's Kristin Sanderson and Erica Biro an 8-6 loss in the No. 2 spot and the Tribe's Carlijn Buis and Lindsey Sullivan did the same to Kathy Sell and Brooke Siebel, giving William & Mary the upset win.
"The team fought hard and found a way to win," William & Mary coach Brian Kalbas said. "To defeat this caliber of a team who has a chance to win this year's national championship is a monumental win. I'm real happy for this group."
Reigning NCAA singles champion Webb garnered another win in her singles match, winning a three-set battle over Buis, 6-4, 6-7 (7-4), 6-2. Biro and Sell also picked up wins for Duke, notching straight-set victories over Toro and Jessyca Arthur, respectively.
Saturday the Blue Devils set out to prove that Friday's loss was more the exception than the rule, and they succeeded, dealing Kansas the shutout defeat.
Sanderson, Goldstein and Ioana Plesu, who each lost their singles matches at Nos. 2, 3 and 6 Friday, came back to bring home wins against the Jayhawks. In the No. 1 spot, Webb defeated Kris Sell, Kathy's older sister, in straight sets. Their other sister, Jenny Garrity, is Kansas' head coach.
"We had a match under our belts, even though we didn't get the results we wanted," Ashworth said. "We were disappointed by our effort Friday, and we wanted to go out and show how good we can be."
The Blue Devils will get another chance to prove their worth this upcoming weekend at the Rolex National Individual Indoors.
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