Overview
The 2024 season was filled with high and low points for Duke women’s tennis, from its unexpected win against then-No. 14 NC State to a painful 4-0 ACC tournament loss against North Carolina.
Ending 16-10 overall and 7-6 in the ACC, Duke managed to maintain a winning conference record despite only having seven girls on its roster. The small roster definitely became a factor for the Blue Devils after junior Ellie Coleman was injured early in the season and never returned, leaving Duke without any wiggle room. The Blue Devils, despite Coleman’s injury, were able to make it through the entire season without having to forfeit any matches due to roster issues.
Going into this season, Duke hoped to finally break through the barrier that had kept it from a deep postseason run the past few seasons. After winning the ACC Championship in 2021, the Blue Devils hoped to return to that stage, but were left falling just short. -Anna Newberry
Results relative to expectations
The Blue Devils started this season with the departure of powerhouse player Chloe Beck — a staple of the team’s lineup for the previous four years. With the No. 1 singles spot open, it was difficult to predict how the 2023-24 season would pan out. Given the program’s history of success, hopes were still high that the team would pull off a successful postseason run, but the Blue Devils were unable to upset tough competitors when it mattered the most.
While the team had several satisfying victories, the story of their season seemed to be defined by the wins just out of grasp. The Blue Devils defeated then-No. 13 UCLA early in the season, sweeping the very team that had knocked them out of the NCAA tournament the year prior. However, this confidence boost was quickly smothered by tough losses against ACC foes. Defeats by North Carolina and Virginia at the end of the regular season exposed the team’s recurring weakness in crucial moments.
The postseason was no different, with Duke falling 4-0 to North Carolina in the ACC quarterfinals. The Blue Devils also exited the NCAA tournament in the Round of 32 for the second year in a row after a slow start against Tennessee. Compared to its four ACC Championships in the last decade, the Blue Devils may have fallen short this season. That said, the obstacles this team overcame to continue challenging the top the game cannot be discounted. -Emily Wang
Best win
The Blue Devils’ best win of the season was really a debate between two matches — an early season neutral site contest against then-No. 13 UCLA, and a late season road win against rival N.C. State.
The February match against the Bruins followed a tough loss against Ohio State in Columbus the day before. In what was probably the most dominant and complete performance of the season for head coach Jamie Ashworth’s squad, the Blue Devils raced to a 4-0 sweep, highlighted by freshman Shavit Kimchi’s 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 singles victory. Of course, the other major storyline of the match was a sort of revenge-game nature for Duke. In the 2023 NCAA tournament, the Bruins eliminated the Blue Devils from contention.
Nonetheless, the high point of the season has to be Duke’s win over N.C. State in Raleigh. The Wolfpack were ranked No. 14 at the time of the match, and Duke was at a difficult stage in the season. They were just 4-3 in ACC play at the time, and this was their first real conference test. After dropping the doubles point and the No. 1 and No. 6 singles slots, the Blue Devils faced a 3-1 deficit. Still, Kimchi and graduate transfer Brianna Shvets toughed out wins in their matches until only sophomore Katie Codd was left in her match in the No. 4 slot. In a second set, she emerged triumphant 7-5 and Duke left with a hard-fought 4-3 victory over its crosstown rival. -Vishwa Veeraswamy
MVP
It is hard to name just one MVP for Duke as every member of the roster stepped up at different points of the season. However, freshman Shavit Kimchi showed the most endurance as she battled both on the court and personally. The Israeli freshman was a five-time ACC Freshman of the Week; the second most by a Duke rookie in school history. Kimchi also led Duke with seven match-clinching wins, setting the season record. The record was previously held by another key player this season — sophomore Emma Jackson — who held down the No. 1 singles position throughout the season.
Kimchi also received ACC Freshman of the Year and the title of ITA Carolina Region Rookie of the Year. -Newberry
Accolades
Despite the season’s ups and downs, the Blue Devils have much to be proud of. Kimchi (No. 72), Jackson (No. 81) and Katie Codd (No. 96) were all in the top 100 of the final 2023-24 Intercollegiate Tennis Association singles rankings. Kimchi and Jackson each registered 17 singles wins over the course of the season — an all time best for both players. Kimchi, in particular, racked up her fair share of accolades. The Sdey Hemed, Israel native was most recently named to the All-ACC Third Team. Kimchi also finished the season as the highest ranking freshman in the ACC. -Wang
Key departures and newcomers
The Blue Devils were certainly experienced this season, which also means that some key players will leave before the 2024-25 campaign. Ashworth was heavily reliant upon graduate students Brianna Shvets and Iuliia Bryzgalova, both of whom will be gone next year. For a team as small as the Blue Devils, with just seven players on the roster, this is a huge hit. Shvets frequently played in the No. 5 and No. 6 slot, and was a rock in the backline for the Blue Devils. Ashworth often commented on her energy and how she was able to light a spark under her teammates throughout the season. Bryzgalova played in the No. 3 slot almost exclusively, and she leaves Duke ranked No. 18 in the Carolina region.
Fortunately for Ashworth, he successfully brought in the No. 1 ranked transfer of the cycle in Eleana Yu, from Stanford. Yu joins Ava Krug in the group of newcomers, a name that should sound familiar to fans of Duke tennis. Her twin older brothers are rising seniors on the men’s team. -Veeraswamy
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