DURHAM, N.C. – The Duke women’s tennis team battled through adversity throughout the 2012-13 campaign, but closed the season with an overall 16-10 ledger. The squad reached the Round of 16 in the NCAA Div. I Women’s Tennis Championship for the sixth consecutive season.
Blue Devils Conclude Season in Top-15
The Blue Devils concluded the season ranked No. 14 in the final Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) team rankings and were listed in the top-25 of the final team rankings for 25th consecutive season. The squad has been in the top-15 in 22 of the last 25 seasons, including the past six campaigns.
Individual Rankings
Duke boasted four ranked players in the final ITA rankings of the season led by junior Hanna Mar at No. 32. In addition, Ester Goldfeld (No. 55), Mary Clayton (No. 107) and Marianne Jodoin (No. 112) finished the campaign in the final singles poll. In doubles, the Blue Devils had four ranked pairs led by 26th-ranked tandem of Clayton and Goldfeld. Playing to an undefeated 7-0 mark throughout the season, Goldfeld and Mar concluded the season listed 44th, while Goldfeld and Annie Mulholland finished with a No. 56 listing. In addition, the duo of Mulholland and Jodoin were listed 81st in the final rankings.
Duke Reaches NCAA Tournament for 25th Consecutive Season
The Blue Devils reached the NCAA Team Championships for the 25th consecutive campaign, while earning a trip to the Round of 16 for the sixth straight season. Head coach Jamie Ashworth’s squad played the first and second rounds of the tournament in Lubbock, Texas, and knocked off Ole Miss and host Texas Tech to advance to Urbana, Ill. In the Round of 16, the Blue Devils battled hard before falling to the top-seeded Gators, 4-0. Following the conclusion of this year’s tournament, Duke now holds a 57-24 (.704) all-time record in the NCAA Tournament.
Blue Devils Fight Through Adversity
Despite a season filled with injuries, Ashworth’s squad was able to battle through to reach the Round of 16 for the sixth consecutive season. The Blue Devils were forced to play with just five players for much of the season after the squad was decimated with injuries to junior Rachel Kahan, sophomore Monica Turewicz and sophomore Ester Goldfeld.
Nicole Lipp Joins Duke Tennis
Nicole Lipp, a four-year letterwinner for the Duke women’s soccer team, joined the women’s tennis program after injuries left the Blue Devils shorthanded. A native of Lake Forest, Ill., Lipp started 85 of 90 matches in the midfield, scoring five goals and notching 12 assists during her four years of soccer. Lipp posted a 1-1 record in doubles for the season, clinching the doubles point and helping the squad to a 6-1 victory over Wake Forest.
Clayton Joins 100-Win Club
Helping Duke earn a berth to the ITA National Indoor Team Championships, Clayton became the 21st member of the prestigious 100-win club with a win over Wyoming’s Simona Synkova in the championship match of the Durham Regional.
All-ACC Honors
Clayton, Mar and Goldfeld were named to the 19-member All-ACC squad, as voted on by the league’s 12 coaches. The honor for Clayton, a native of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was the first of her career, as she finished the 2012-13 campaign with a 25-12 overall ledger. Mar was named to the All-ACC squad for the second consecutive season, while Goldfeld also received her second straight honor in as many seasons.
Clayton Receives Regional ITA/Cissie Leary Award for Sportsmanship
Clayton was honored as the 2013 recipient of the Regional ITA/Cissie Leary Award for Sportsmanship. The award goes to a Division I women’s player who has demonstrated extraordinary commitment and unwavering dedication to her team; with exceptional hard work, courage, sportsmanship, and a positive cooperative attitude that makes people around her play better. It dates back to 1997 and is memory of the late and widely admired Penn women's tennis coach Cissie Leary.
Clayton Named to Duke Tennis Hall of Fame
Following Duke’s home match against Georgia Tech on Saturday, April 6, Clayton was inducted into the Duke Tennis Hall of Fame. Clayton’s name has been etched into the Duke record books in a number of places including career singles victories, winning percentage and career conference singles wins. She has posted 110 career wins in singles, making her one of only 21 Blue Devils to reach the coveted 100-win mark. Of those 21, Clayton has the ninth highest winning percentage, claiming nearly .760 of her matches. In addition, Clayton has captured 29 career ACC singles wins, ranking as the third most in program history.
Jodoin Posts Strong First Season at Duke
After transferring from Fresno State, junior Marianne Jodoin recorded a strong 2012-13 campaign for the Blue Devils. Jodoin, a native of Varennes, Quebec, Canada, led the squad in singles victories for the season with 30 on the season, including an impressive 18-2 record in the dual season and a perfect 5-0 mark in ACC competition.
Blue Devils Fare Well in the Fall
The 2012 fall season saw the Blue Devils fare well in numerous events across the country. The team began its season with a strong showing in the Duke Fab 4 Invitational, with Mar winning her singles draw in white bracket. In doubles, Goldfeld and Annie Mulholland reached the finals of the white draw, before falling to William & Mary’s Marie Belaya and Jeltje Loomans. At the Riviera/ITA All-American, Mar teamed with Beatrice Capra to reach the finals of the doubles draw, before falling to Southern Cal’s Kaitlyn Christina and Sabrina Santamaria. In October’s Carolina Regional, Mar captured the singles and doubles titles. In singles, the junior downed No. 26 Zoe DeBruycker of North Carolina, and teamed with Ester Goldfeld to win the doubles title over top-seeded Jaklin Alawi and Dominika Kanakva of South Carolina. At the USTA/ITA National Indoor Championship in Flushing, N.Y., Mar reached the quarterfinals, before falling to Annett Schutting of California. While Mar was competing in New York, Clayton and Jodoin earned victories in their respective draws at the Kitty Harrison Invitational in Chapel Hill, N.C. Clayton edged Lauren McHale of North Carolina in three sets in the blue draw, while Jodoin claimed the white draw with a straight set victory over Ellie Ball of Marshall.
Welcome to Duke Tennis
Ashworth announced the addition of Alyssa Smith of Laguna Niguel, Calif., to the program beginning in the 2013-14 season. Smith is currently ranked No. 9 in the Babolat National Recruiting List, as well as No. 1 in the Babolat Southwest list and No. 1 in the Babolat California poll. Over her four years at Dana Hills High School, Smith has compiled a 129-5 singles record. In addition to serving as team captain, Smith has been a CIF league champion in singles, won the Southern California team championship last season and is set to compete in her first state championship this fall.
