Duke started the Hooter's Women's Collegiate Match Play Championship on shaky footing, but was able to eke out a victory over 16th-seeded Purdue. As the two schools split a quartet of matches, and the No. 1 player in the nation, Duke' Liz Janangelo, halved her match with Beth Hermes, the Blue Devils relied on a pair of big wins by Virada Nirapathpongporn and Brittany Lang to take the tiebreaker.
"We were definitely off and they were on," head coach Dan Brooks said. "We are playing the 16th seed and we ended up in a tie. That is just a great example of how match play can go."
Then, the Blue Devils took on Ohio State in a quarterfinal contest. The match was suspended mid-round due to darkness. The teams will resume play today with Duke holding a commanding lead in two of the pairing. In the tight matches, Leigh Anne Hardin holds a two-hole advantage, and Nirapathpongporn and Lang are each one hole up.
"There is nothing comfortable about the lead," Brooks said.
Janangelo holds a five hole lead over her Buckeye opponent. She jumped out to a three hole advantage after only four holes and will win her match if she can half two of her remaining six holes.
Freshman Anna Grzebien also stands within striking distance of a victory after dropping her match 2 and 1 against her Purdue opponent.
If Duke prevails over Ohio State today, the team will face the winner of the UCLA-Texas match in the semifinals, with the finals being played tomorrow.
The Blue Devils have won their past four tournaments and all five of the team's golfers are ranked in the top 11 in the country.
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