Upcoming Event: Women's Tennis at Kitty Harrison Invitational on September 12, 2025
Women's Tennis
at Kitty Harrison Invitational
Saturday, March 25
Charlottesville, Va.
12 p.m.
Duke University
2
at
5
Virginia
Blue Devils Fall, 5-2, At Virginia
3/25/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. ? The 10th-ranked Duke women's tennis team fell in an upset to No. 43 Virginia Saturday, giving up its first Atlantic Coast Conference loss of the year and its first loss to Virginia in 25 years. The Cavaliers leapt out to an early lead the Blue Devils couldn't overcome, eventually beating them 5-2 in Charlottesville at the Boyd Tinsley Indoor Courts.
Duke previously held a 42-3 series record against its conference rival and had only given away two points in five contests against the Cavaliers over the past three years. With the loss, Duke slips to a 9-4 (2-1 ACC) record, while Virginia, who won its second straight upset over a top-20 program in 10 days, improves to 8-5 (2-2). The loss was the first for Duke this year be more than a one-point margin.
For just the second time this year, Duke gave up the doubles point, yielding two close matches to the Cavaliers at the top two positions. Junior Kristin Cargill and freshman Jessi Robinson, playing in their first dual match together, put up the first victory of the match at No. 3, topping Caroline Hammond and Amanda Rales, 8-4.
Virginia claimed the next win with Douglas Wink and Rachel DelPriore clipping Duke's Melissa Mang and Jennifer Zika, 8-6, on court two. The Blue Devil duo, who usually play at No. 3, had previously only posted two losses in 12 dual matches this year. The Cavaliers clinched the point with a win by No. 15 Lori Stern and Kristen James over junior Daniela Bercek and senior Jackie Carleton, 8-4, on court one.
Mang, ranked 122 in the national standings, tried to swing the momentum by earning the first singles victory, defeating DelPriore, 6-4, 6-3 at No. 3 and knotting the overall score. Virginia posted the next two straight-set wins, however, with Lori Stern besting No. 66 Tara Iyer, 6-4, 6-4, and Douglas Wink overcoming No. 2 Bercek, 6-4, 6-1.
With Virginia up 3-1, Duke needed the next three matches on courts two, five and six to go in its favor. Carleton, Cargill and Robinson all started down a set with Carleton losing 6-2 to James, Cargill, 6-3, to Lindsey Pereira and Robinson, 7-5, to Rales. Carleton and Robinson eached pushed their matches to third sets, as Carleton topped James, 6-3 at No. 2, and Robinson outlasted Rales in a tiebreaker, 7-6 (7-5).
Cargill fought to do the same but eventually lost, 7-6 (7-4) in Virginia's match-clincher. Carleton ended up falling 6-1 in her third set while Robinson won her second straight tiebreaker in the third, 7-6 (8-6).
The Blue Devils face No. 60 Virginia Tech Sunday at 10:30 a.m. in Blacksburg, Va.
Results
Doubles
1. #15 Stern/James (V) def. Bercek/Carleton (D), 8-4
2. Wink/DelPriore (V) def. Mang/Zika (D), 8-6
3. Cargill/Robinson (D) def. Hammond/Rales (V), 8-5
Order: 3,2*,1
Singles
1. Douglas Wink (V) def. #2 Daniela Bercek (D), 6-4, 6-1
2. Kristen James (V) def. #29 Jackie Carleton (D), 6-2, 3-6, 6-1
3. #122 Melissa Mang (D) def. Rachel DelPriore (V), 6-4, 6-3
4. Lori Stern (V) def. #66 Tara Iyer (D), 6-4, 6-4
5. Lindsey Pereira (V) def. Kristin Cargill (D), 6-3, 7-6 (7-4)
6. Jessi Robinson (D) def. Amanda Rales (V), 5-7, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (8-6)
Order: 3,4,1,5*,2,6
-d-u-k-e-
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Tennis
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/ Women's TennisPLAYER
/ Women's Tennis
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/ Women's TennisPLAYER
/ Women's TennisPLAYER
/ Women's Tennis
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/ Women's Tennis
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/ Women's Tennis
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