Revenge!!

WE BEAT NORTHWESTERN!!!!!! Traveling up to Chicago to play the #1 team in the country, we knew that this was our shot to redeem ourselves from National Indoors and we did! It was probably one of the most exciting matches that I have ever been apart of.

We started off by losing a hard fought doubles point. Although Reka and Ellah crushed their opponents at the #3 spot, both Melissa and me, along with Jess and Mallory, had a tougher time of it and lost our matches 8-6. Despite this early setback, none of us were discouraged. We know that we are a tough group to face in singles, and went out after the break very fired up.

Taking the lead in most of the singles matches from the very beginning, we started off well and took 4 of the 6 first sets down the line up. Ellah and Reka effortlessly cruised through their first sets while Melissa and Mallory battled it out and also came out on top. Both Jess and I lost our first sets, but did not let this get us down.

Melissa ended up finishing first with a very convincing 6-2 score in her second set. Jess and I ended up finishing only seconds after each other, but unfortunately we were not victorious. Down 3-1, it was up to the final three players, Reka, Ellah, and Mallory to finish out the match. Quickly after Jess and I finished, Reka won her match to put the score at 3-2. Both Mal and Ellah lost their second sets, but battled it out for their third sets and came out on top! They finished only a minute apart with Mallory winning her third set 7-5 and Ellah winning her third set 7-6. We went nuts!!! Those of us on the sidelines were screaming so loud that we definitely rivaled the 100 spectators in the crowd. It was an incredible feeling to beat this team and I am so proud of how everyone played and competed today. There was a lot of heart shown from all the girls. This win proves that we have what it takes to be #1 in the country!

To celebrate, Jamie took us to Ruth Chris Steakhouse! I speak for the entire time team in saying that it was one of the best meals that we have ever had. The steaks were INCREDIBLE and all of us left the restaurant with full stomachs :)

YEAH DUKE!!!!

Until next time....

-Amanda

Texas A&M

Hi everyone!

Yesterday we played Texas A&M. The day started with a team breakfast at Nash's. Reka again unsurprised everyone by consuming three giant chocolate pancakes with syrup and butter, and what she called a soup bowl of hot chocolate! So our day was off to an auspicious start.

We were especially pumped becuase it was senior Jess's birthday yesterday. We love Jess and were excited to celebrate with her. As we always do, we spent quality time in the locker room before beginning practice. I sneaked in some knee rehab as I had arthroscopy and a lateral release about 10 days ago. It was also Family Day yesterday and we eagerly anticipated a large crowd. And you guys came :)! As did our favorite Blue Devil mascot. He pranced around, lifting our spirits even higher. So, the match began.

Melissa and Amanda, at No. 1 doubles, played great tennis to crush their opponents 8-3. Our No. 2 and No.3 doubles were a little more dicey. Jess and Mallory came back from from the dead to take the match 9-8, and 7-0 in the tiebreak. Reka and Ellah battled hard to win 8-6 and came up with some gutsy shots in tight situations. Duke = 1, Texam A&M = 0.

Watching from the stands, I was impressed by the way our team handled the singles. One by one, the Duke girls dismantled their opponents and didn't give them a chance. Melissa's mesmerizing forehand, Reka's revitalizing volleys (!!), Mallory's menacing backhand, Ellah's elegant footwork, Amanda's amazing second serve, and Jess's gentle hands (at the net) were all a treat to watch! We won 6-1!

This was a great win since Texas A&M is very good, and the girls still shutout their opponents in a focused, determined way. Helped by our fans... and our very own ubiquitous Crazy Towel Guy. When we returned to the locker room, tired but happy, we found two boxes of chocolate and buttercream cupcakes made by our assistant coach, Kelly. She had made them for Jess's birthday, but obviously we felt the need to help Jess out ;)! They were absolutely delicious. Thanks Kelly!

We hope that you enjoyed the match yesterday. Thank you all for coming, and for supporting us.

Cheers,
Tara

Lighting that FIRE!!

So our trip to National Indoors was pretty successful. We had some ups and downs but we learned a lot and really came together as a team. We had an easy win over Wisconsin 7-0 which was a great start. The courts were really fast, so it took some adjustments from everyone, (some struggled more than others (me)), but after that match we were really fired up for our chance to take on the #1 team in the nation- Northwestern. We got down pretty quick in doubles which was unlike us, but we did a great job of evening things out in the first few singles matches. Everyone battled really hard and before I knew it, I was starting my third set and the score was tied at 3-3. It didn't end well. I lost 7-5 in the third but my team was very supportive and understanding. We were determined to come out the next day with fire and purpose and we took down #4 Baylor, with Ellah closing out a tough third set to give us the W. 

The trip really made us believe that we are one of the best teams in the nation and that we can take down anyone. I just can't wait until two weeks from now when we get another shot at Northwestern. Losing a close match like that gives you a certain toughness and desire to win that you can't get anywhere else. I am so confident in my team and hopefully they will be confident in me if I ever get the opportunity again to close out a match for us. Stay tuned because we this team this season is going all the way!!!

Be back soon...

Melissa

Shutout #2 (7-0)

Today at 12 o'clock we took the court to begin our doubles matches against Princeton University. We knew that this was not going to be an easy match and that we needed to be on fire from the very beginning. Ellah and Reka cruised through their match with an 8-0 victory in about half an hour. Next to finish was me and Jess, winning 8-1. Then, we walked over and got to watch Amanda and Melissa take down Princeton's number 1 team. They played extrememly solid and their volleys are a thing of beauty to watch. They compliment each other's games very well on the court.

We are now up to a 1-0 lead and we get our ten minute break between singles and doubles. We all go to the locker room to refuel and refocused for our upcoming singles matches. We knew that these singles matches were going to be no easy task. Jamie's quote for the day was, "Opportunity is disguised as hard work, which is why it is usually missed." (something like that) Our goal was to not let them have a chance to gain momentum. We had done exceptionally well with that in the doubles and we were determined to carry that over into our singles. We walked onto the court and did our usual chant and were fired up and ready to play!

First to finish was Melissa winning 61 60. Everytime I looked over she was either hitting a beutiful putaway volley or a big groundstroke winner. She was on fire! I finished next with a 62 61 win. My main focus was just to have big targets and really pull her off the court in order to work my way into the net. I was happy with how I played and was excited to watch my others teammates successfully close out their matches.

Jess's match was more of a mental match today. She breezed through her match winning 61 62, but this was no easy feat. The girl she was playing, Blakely Ashley, had been a long time opponent of Jess. They were from the same section and had played one another a lot through out juniors. There is a certain personal pressure that is added when you are faced in one of these situation. Jess handled it beautifully though. Those matches are more self-rewarding than playing someone you know nothing about. Proud of you Jess!

Reka closed out her match with a 64 60 victory. The points that I was watching in her first set seemed to be a battle. The girl was hanging right there with her and was not giving her many free points. However, once Reka captured that first set it was smooth sailing from there. The girl lost her aggressiveness and started going for too much. Reka breezed through the next set fairly quickly.

The last two matches left were Ellah and Amanda. These both went into third set tiebreakers and were very entertaining to watch. Ellah had lost the first set 61. The girl she was playing was just not missing and hitting a lot of winners. However, Ellah didn't panic and just fought her way back quickly to win the second set 61. From there it was all downhill. She cruised through the tiebraker winning it 10 1.

Amanda was the last one left. She had won the first set 64 and fought hard through the second just barely losing it 63. On to another tiebreaker. It was extremely close all the way through and the crowd was really getting into it. Amanda and her opponent were fighting for every ball and going for all their shots. It was quite thrilling to watch, and was so sweet when Amanda closed it out winning the breaker 13-11. That was close!

That completed our 7-0 victory over Princeton!

Those who do not know I am the new "freshy" on the team since just arriving this January. I cannot express how blessed I feel to be able to play and compete with these awesome girls. They have fight and are hungry to win. Every time we step out on the court we go with a purpose. I am honored to be apart of this team and represent Duke. We enjoy what we do, and we hope all of you enjoy watching. Thanks for all of your support. It really means a lot to us.
Until next time.......

Mallory Cecil

Shutout...7-0

Yesterday afternoon we played Indiana University. I remember travelling to Bloomington last year and having a tough match against them. Last year, we beat them 6-1 but I recall the scores being close across all courts. Yesterday was different. Before every home match, Jamie writes a quote on the board in the locker room for everyone to read. The quote is the first message we see as we walk into the room. Yesterday's message was, "If you don't make things happen, things will happen to you." When discussing this quote, Jamie stressed the importance of each player being aggressive from the first point and gaining the momentum early on in the match. His words definitely stuck because we were back in the locker room within 30 minutes discussing tactics for singles! Jess and Mallory dominated on court 2, winning 8-0. Reka and I finished within minutes of them on court 3 with a score of 8-1, to clinch the doubles point. Melissa and Amanda were on the court a little bit longer, eventually pulling through 8-3. They played the same team last year and went to a tiebreak, but yesterday they wasted no time getting an early lead and holding on to it.

Singles for the most part was not much different from the doubles. While I was trying to focus on my match, every time I looked up at the scoreboard everyone was in command of their first set. One person in particular, Jess, was steam rolling through her match. When I sat down on the bench at 2-1, I looked up and saw she was already up 4-0!!! With that said, she was the first one off the court coming away with a 6-1, 6-0 victory. I finished shortly after her, winning 6-1, 6-1. My opponent was a decent player and had not yet lost a match this season. Thus, I went on the court taking Jamie's advice, and made things happen. I felt I played aggressively from the start, which carried over through the entire match. I was happy with the way I played and to be off the court quickly. As soon as I finished, I wasn't surprised to see Reka up 6-1, 5-0. She has a knack for frustrating players with her style of play, and most players are dumb founded after the first few games, giving up easily. Hey, no complaints here!! A win is a win.

Mallory had a close one on the court next to me, but the combination of some good defensive skills and big forehands on decisive points proved to be too much for her opponent and she won 6-4. Taking the momentum from the first set, she held on to her lead and won the second set 6-3. Melissa and Amanda were in control their first sets, but had close second sets which is to be expected. Usually when you win the first set decisively, your opponent changes their game plan to fight back. But in the end, both of them demonstrated why they are a part of the 9th ranked team and closed out their respective matches in two sets. Overall, everyone was happy to have won all their matches and have an early night. We play Princeton tomorrow at 12pm. Thanks to everyone for their continuous support. GO DUKE!!

Dylan Arnould- ITA Indoor wrap-up

2:00pm. That was the original start time for our match Sunday against Penn State, after coming off our rough loss to Florida State on Saturday.  3:00pm is when we actually started, and 7:35pm was our scheduled flight out of State College Airport.  Damn Oklahoma State was being a pest and fighting back against FSU and keeping us from starting our match in the four court Penn State facility (which Ramsey plans to complain to the ITA about…I mean, four courts for a dual match in a national tournament?).  Anyway, all was well because we managed to clinch a 4-0 victory by about 5:45p, leaving ample time for us to shower and get to the airport in time for our flight (which is good since there are only like 3 flights a day in and out of the State College Airport and ours was the last one of the day).

As for the match, well, I’ll go so far as to offer some picture of what happened.  In doubles, Kiril and Al played another solid match and knocked off the number one Penn State team, despite one of their opponents’ persistent grunts about the lucky and fluky shots that Al and Kiril kept hitting, which in actuality were probably pretty typical shots for them.  At number two Reid and I played arguably our best match of the season, cleaning up 8-3, including a bizarre shank overhead that I was incredibly lucky to make on break point against us (especially since it came after 2 or 3 complete duff volleys in a row).  Torsten and Holland were down 7-2 but fought back the 7-6 when the match was then stopped since we had clinched the doubles point 2-0 (in this tournament format they were stopping all doubles play once the point was decided).

  Singles wise, it was a good day.  Kiril played awesome at line two even though he was sick the whole weekend.  Reid won two pretty close sets to knock off his big serving but erratic opponent, who was quite entertaining to watch with his bizarre attitude and colorful reactions to any good shots Reid hit (as if Reid should not be allowed to hit any good shots…How does he think Reid got to be ranked so high in the first place?).  Anyway, Jared fought through to win in straight sets as well, pulling out quite a few close games and showing some inspiring flare.  Reid’s win gave us the 4-0 win, and with our flight less than 2 hours from departure, my match was stopped midway through the second set, along with Torsten and Holland’s matches that had only just gotten underway (a consequence of there only being four courts…)

And yes, we missed most of the Superbowl, but we did catch some of the second half in the airport, until we had to board our flight and missed the last few minutes of the game…Not like we missed anything interesting though, I mean what actually happened after it was 20-14 Pittsburgh late in the 4th?

Quotes of the Trip:

I want to take the opportunity to offer some of the best quotes from this weekend, spoken by some of the truly unique characters on our team.  I will leave the quotes anonymous, but I think they can help give a glimpse of some of the humor that was pervasive during our travels this past weekend.

“Hey, name five countries in South America”  Response: “Brazil, Argentina, Portugal……”

“Do you want me to get you a cookie?  I’ll go get you a cookie.  I don’t want a cookie, but I’ll go get one for you, ok?”

Dining Highlights:

Foccia Luna in State College right down the street from the Courtyard Marriot where we were staying.  Highly recommended,  great pizza, the salmon was quite a hit as well.

Dining Low Point:

Ruby Tuesday’s.  I know it’s harsh to say, but in comparison to any similar chain restaurants (Chili’s, Applebee’s, Olive Garden, Outback) it’s really lacking.  Do they really need to just add like 4 lbs of cheese or butter to every dish, and even then it still doesn’t taste good?

Best Bonding Location: 

The hotel hot tub.  I wasn’t too keen on it so I didn’t actually go, but that was the place if you were soul searching, or so I heard.

Trip Theme:

Emergen-C fizzing drink mix.  Whether you were one of the sick people on the trip or not, you were likely having at least 2 packets of Emergen-C per day, with some people having upwards of 6 or 7.  32 Vitamins and Minerals, you going to argue against that?

We leave on Thursday to play Illinois on Friday night, and then on to South Bend to face the Fighting Irish on Sunday.  They are going to be battles, but I have a good feeling about them, and we owe both of these teams some revenge from the last two years.  Wish us luck, and thanks for your reading and keeping up with our progress throughout the year.

Until next time,

Dylan Arnould

 

 

 

We're Going to Madison!

For the first time in two years Duke Women's tennis is heading to Madison, Wisconsin as one of sixteen teams to make it to the National Indoor tournament! We are so excited! This is a great opportunity to play against the best teams in the country and we are definitely up to the challenge :)

Today's match was a successful one against the Ohio State Buckeyes. Despite some unforeseen challenges that arose with my being sick with food poisoning and Tara's nagging knee injuries, we were able to make it through the day. Doubles started off with a bang with Reka and Ella winning a promising match against a tough #3 team. It definitely gave both Melissa and me a boost of confidence to see our two underclassman playing so well. Jess and Mallory were competing hard against a very good team as well, but came up short and lost in a tough match. Melissa and I were left to battle it out to determine who would win the doubles point, and thanks to some great poaching by Mang and solid play on both of our parts we were able to clinch the doubles point for the team!

Taking the ten minute break in between doubles and singles, everyone was fired up to get out on the court again and take on the Buckeyes one on one. I was questioning whether I would be able to play because I was still feeling really sick, but decided to give it my best effort. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough and I ended up losing 6-4, 6-3. It was a disappointing loss, but my teammates really came through in the rest of the matches! Reka, always the solid player, dominated her opponent and gave us a 2-0 lead. Melissa finished up next with a convincing win at #5, closing out a close second set to give us a 3-0 lead. Clinching the match for the second time this season, Mallory Cecil played unbelievably against Kristen Flowers and won her match at the #1 spot!

The crowd was VERY supportive and it was so much fun to see everyone rallying behind us. I think the Duke Field Hockey team deserves a big shout-out for today- they came out in full force and had even made signs for each one of us with things like "Eureka" and "Don't Mess with Jess" written all over them! Crazy Towel Guy also came by after the basketball game- he has certainly proven to be one of our biggest supporters over the past two seasons and it's always great to see him in the stands!

Until next time...