With two weeks to think about its conference semifinal loss to ACC rival Georgia Tech, Duke will return to competitive play looking to advance past the first weekend of the NCAA tournament for the first time in three years.
The 15th-seeded Blue Devils earned the right to host a regional and will kick off the tournament Friday at 4 p.m. against Boston University at Ambler Tennis Stadium. Duke will be returning from an extended break after falling 4-2 against the Yellow Jackets in the ACC tournament, where senior Chalena Scholl and sophomore Kaitlyn McCarthy held strong for the Blue Devils despite the team's struggles in both doubles and singles.
If Duke pushes past the Terriers, the Blue Devils will match up against Tennessee or Winthrop in the second round in Durham. From there, the last four rounds will be played in Athens, Ga.
“The toughest thing for us is we haven't played a match in two weeks,” Blue Devil head coach Jamie Ashworth said. “To have that layoff, you can see it a little in the point play we've done this week that we haven't been in real pressure situations. We have to come out and play disciplined and hopefully come out to some good starts and let the results take care of themselves.”
Throughout the spring season, Duke (20-5) has been anchored by its middle courts to stay alive in tougher singles battles.
No. 99 McCarthy went 14-0 in conference play—a first in Blue Devil history—holding down Court 4 with a 19-match winning streak. In the conference semifinals, the Cary, N.C., native was quick off the courts against Kenya Jones, beating the Yellow Jacket in straight sets 7-5, 6-0.
55th-ranked Scholl has had similar success, only dropping one match in conference play. The Pompano Beach, Fla., native has also proven to be a clutch player for Duke, clinching multiple deadlocked 3-3 matches. In her tenure as a Blue Devil, the only time Scholl has made it to the second week of the NCAA tournament was in 2014 as a freshman.
“[This tournament] is a big one,” Scholl said. “We've had a lot of great matches, so going into your last match is a little bit emotional. I want to give everything I have and have no regrets when I walk off that court.”
One potential upside the Blue Devils have this weekend will be a home-court advantage. Duke is undefeated at home this season, feeding off a raucous crowd for narrow 4-3 victories against then-No. 15 TCU and then-No. 6 Georgia Tech.
“We're looking forward to [hosting],” Ashworth said. “Anytime you can finish in the top 16 and have that opportunity to play at home—a place where we've been historically really good—we had a great home year this year and that's something we hope to take advantage of this weekend.”
Although the Blue Devils have the record to show for a team that is favored for a slot in Athens, Duke must remain focused against its early opposition.
Boston University (11-10) is riding a three-match winning streak, having blanked Loyola 4-0 and taking the Patriot League title in a decisive 4-1 win against Army. The Terriers have relied on sophomore Remi Ramos—who has won her past seven matches—for strength on the middle courts. With Courts 2-4 a reliable strong point for Boston University, the Blue Devils must stay consistent through singles play. However, with no experience against ranked opponents, the Terriers would need a major upset to top Duke.
Although the Blue Devils are expected to cruise through their first day of the tournament, day two will present a true test.
Duke will be up against either Winthrop (19-5) or No. 23 Tennessee (18-11), and the Blue Devils have lost in the second round two years in a row.
The Eagles won the Big South conference tournament nearly three weeks ago, dropping just one match all weekend, but came up well short in both of their opportunities against ACC competition this year. Duke’s other possible matchup against Tennessee would prove to be more dangerous.
Although the Volunteers bowed out early in the SEC tournament against then-No. 20 Mississippi State, Tennessee still has a penchant for upsets against nationally ranked teams. The Volunteers took down then-No. 14 Kansas in a decisive 4-0 win, as well as then-No. 19 LSU 4-2.
Tennessee also boasts talent in singles, highlighted by No. 42 Brittany Lindl. Although the Volunteer senior is 11-10 for the season, Lindl has upset LSU's No. 11 Jade Lewis 6-2, 6-3 and Ole Miss’s No. 27 Arianne Hartono 6-3, 6-3. With Duke’s Court 1 mainstay No. 80 Samantha Harris holding a 13-15 record, Tennessee could see some early singles momentum with a victory in the upper courts.
If the Blue Devils make it past this weekend, Duke will have one more week before traveling to Athens to start play in the Round of 16. There, the Blue Devils will likely face second-ranked North Carolina, which dominated Duke 5-2 earlier in conference play.
“[North Carolina] is always a good team to play,” Scholl said. “We'll definitely be looking forward to a rematch if we get that far.”
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.