With two weeks remaining in the ACC season, the race for the top seeds in the conference tournament is beginning to take shape. Virginia and Florida State, both unbeaten in the conference, stand tied for first, with North Carolina and Duke knotted in second place with one loss apiece. Four matches remain between that quartet of top teams, including two contests that involve Duke.
The first of those will take place this weekend, as the No. 7 Blue Devils (16-3, 5-1 in the ACC) take a three-match win streak south to the Sunshine State for a date with the Seminoles (16-4, 7-0) today. Two days later, Duke will travel even further toward the Equator to take on Miami (8-8, 1-6) on Easter Sunday.
The Blue Devils have several areas in which they seek to improve prior to the postseason, and each match becomes crucial as an opportunity to get better. Particularly concerning has been the Blue Devils’ lack of consistency in doubles play.
“We’re looking at a couple things with our singles, but doubles has been the main focus,” head coach Ramsey Smith said. “We’ve been working extremely hard on our doubles. It’s been sort of our Achilles’ heel all year long.”
Smith said that improvement has been noticeable, however, in the wake of a loss to then-No. 3 Virginia two weeks ago. Since the hard-fought 4-3 defeat at the hands of the Cavaliers, Duke has dropped just one singles match over the course of three victories against Virginia Tech, Clemson and Georgia Tech.
“We played well against Virginia,” Smith said. “I think that match really motivated us. We’ve been playing pretty consistently in our last three matches.”
One of this weekend’s two matches appears to be another chance for Duke to dominate, but although the Hurricanes’ 1-6 conference record seems unimposing, they are 7-2 at home and lead the historical series with Duke 22-16.
Florida State should prove to be the truer test for Smith and his team. The Seminoles possess a 12-1 record at home and may have an extra spark as they honor their lone departing senior, Jason Zafiros.
“Florida State can be a tough place to play,” Smith said. “It’s senior day. It’s their house. They’re going to come out ready. We want to make sure we’re fresh, eager, and ready to go tomorrow.”
Although Smith knows the dangers of going on the road in the ACC, Florida State’s superior record may be misleading. The Seminoles do not hold a top-25 ranking because they have yet to play any of the other top four teams in the conference, and no Florida State singles player or doubles team is ranked among the top 125.
Also, despite their Florida opponents’ strong home records, the Blue Devils have proven themselves on the road. The team’s only loss away from Sheffield Tennis Center this season was to top-ranked Southern California at the ITA National Team Indoor Championships in Charlottesville, Va.
“We’re excited about this match,” Smith said. “They’re undefeated in the ACC, they’re 7-0, right there at the top with Virginia. It’s a great opportunity for us to make a mark on the ACC and take down one of the top teams at their place.”
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