Sportswrap is your one-stop shop for everything Duke athletics, where we’ll recap how each of Duke’s sports currently in competition performed over the last week and give a brief look ahead. Here’s our recap for the week of April 17-23.
Men’s tennis
No. 12 Duke competed in the ACC Championships this weekend. It faced off against No. 7-seed Louisville Friday and beat it handily 4-0 thanks to Andrew Dale’s fourth match-clinching victory of the year. He had another clutch performance Saturday against No. 6-seed Wake Forest in the semifinals, where Duke (20-6, 11-1 in the ACC) dropped the doubles point but was able to come back during singles and win 4-3 to advance to the championship match. The Blue Devils faced Virginia in the title match Sunday but lost 4-1, as the Cavaliers claimed a season sweep and won their third consecutive ACC championship. Duke next plays for the NCAA tournament, starting May 5. -Suresh Kannoth
Women’s tennis
The postseason is underway as the Blue Devils traveled to Cary, N.C., Friday to compete in the ACC tournament. After securing a quarterfinal bid, Duke (22-4, 11-2) faced No. 7-seed Georgia Tech, and without Chloe Beck, lost the crucial doubles point and was defeated 4-3. With the match tied 3-3, it came down to sophomore Emma Jackson on court two to turn things around, but she was defeated 7-5, 6-3. Duke will have a two-week break before the NCAA tournament begins in the first week of May. -Anna Newberry
Baseball
It was a big week for the Blue Devils. They opened on a high note Tuesday with a 7-0 shutout victory against William & Mary, smacking five home runs in the process. Duke (27-12, 12-8) continued to build momentum over the weekend against No. 12 Louisville, as Alex Mooney walked off the Cardinals with a grand slam Friday night and MJ Metz drove in the winning run with a single in game two. The Blue Devils continued to roll, earning the sweep with a 4-3 win Sunday. Duke will travel to No. 10 Campbell Tuesday before hosting High Point the next day and heading north to play No. 9 Virginia in a weekend series. -Martin Heintzelman
Softball
The Blue Devils kept on rolling this week, beating UNC Greensboro 8-1 before confidently sweeping Georgia Tech in their last home series, extending their win streak to 12 games. No. 8 Duke (40-8, 16-5) earned run-rule and walk-off victories Friday, with D’Auna Jennings hitting the winning single. Ana Gold knocked a homer in each game of the series, including in the final 6-2 win Sunday, setting a Duke single-season record with her 18. The Blue Devils close out their regular season with a bout against Longwood and a final conference series with Pittsburgh over the weekend. -Molly Honecker
Women’s lacrosse
It has been a week of nail-biters for Duke. The Blue Devils (8-9, 1-8) dropped their regular-season finale in a heartbreaking loss to No. 6 North Carolina Thursday. In the 13-12 defeat, graduate student Maddie Jenner led the way with three goals while freshman Madison Drebing had five saves on the day. Duke rebounded fast, taking on Louisville in the first round of the ACC tournament. Under the bright lights with the pressure on, the Blue Devils took care of business in a 12-11 victory Saturday. Jenner once again led the way with a hat trick, while senior Lexi Schmalz had three goals of her own. Duke moves on to the next round of the conference tournament, where it will face off against No. 1-seed Boston College Wednesday. -Mackenzie Sheehy
Men’s golf
After Saturday’s second round was suspended due to inclement weather at the ACC Championships in Pinehurst, N.C., the Blue Devils built on their strong first-round showing by squeaking into fourth place and the afternoon’s match play semifinals Sunday. Luke Sample, who finished in a tie for third place at -7, went birdie-eagle on the final two holes of stroke play to push Duke past No. 5 Florida State for the final match play opening. The ensuing semifinal, however, was tough for the Blue Devils, who fell 3-1-1 to No. 6 Georgia Tech. The strong performance sets Duke up for the rest of the postseason, which continues May 15 at NCAA Regionals. -Jonathan Levitan
Track and field
Yet another weekend was filled by stellar Duke performances at a track meet. The Blue Devils headed over to Winston-Salem, N.C., where a small group of athletes took part in various events at the Wake Forest Invitational. This meet focused on the athletes who don’t usually get to travel, giving a new crew a chance to shine. They most certainly did, as the women’s team logged six first-place finishes while the men took three. The Blue Devils look to continue their excellent season in Philadelphia at the Penn Relays starting Thursday. -Sophie Levenson
Rowing
It was an excellent weekend for Duke, as it hosted the Lake Wheeler Invitational in Raleigh. The Blue Devils rolled through the first day of the competition, winning 10 of the 11 races and sweeping the morning session. The second day was almost as strong, and the 3V8 boat clinched the victory for Duke. The Blue Devils will return to Lake Wheeler in a few weeks for the ACC Championships as the postseason gets started. -Heintzelman
Football
Football is finally back. On Friday night, the Blue Devils took the field for their annual Blue-White Game, beginning the second year of head coach Mike Elko’s tenure. The two teams, decided by coaches, proved to be a pretty even matchup, as the contest came down to the final few drives of the fourth quarter. Ultimately, the White team came out victorious 19-14, propelled by a long touchdown pass from freshman quarterback Grayson Loftis. Duke will now hope to build on its strong spring into the summer because the next contest for the Blue Devils is a big one: Labor Day against Clemson. -Caleb Dudley
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