Completed Event: Women's Tennis at #1 Auburn on May 8, 2026 , Loss , 2, to, 4
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Final
Women's Tennis
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at #1 Auburn
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Women's Tennis to Host ITA Kick-Off Weekend Play
1/29/2010 11:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
DURHAM, N.C.-The Duke University women's tennis team will be one of 15 teams nationwide to host a qualifying round of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's Kick-Off Weekend Saturday and Sunday. The top-ranked Blue Devils will play host to Wake Forest, Yale and VCU.
Live video of all matches this weekend will be broadcast on www.goduke.com. Click on the button at the top of www.goduke.com to view the video.
The action begins Saturday at 10 a.m. in the Sheffield Indoor Tennis Center, when No. 39 Wake Forest faces off against No. 44 VCU. Duke will meet No. 49 Yale for the first time in the afternoon match, starting at 2 p.m. The Blue Devils are 22-3 all-time against Ivy League teams.
The Blue Devils are 2-0 entering this weekend's action. Duke kicked off the 2010 season ranked No. 1 in the nation, and maintained the top ranking in the most recent poll conducted by the ITA. The 2009 National Champions return four players and three starters from last season.
Yale finished the 2008-09 season with a 14-6 record. After losing First Team All-Ivy League selection Janet Kim to graduation, the Bulldogs are led this year by sophomore Stephanie Kent at the No. 1 singles spot.
VCU returns several veterans from last year's squad. The Rams advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 10th time in 2009, losing to Virginia, 4-0, in the opening round. The Rams have opened their 2010 campaign with a 2-1 record behind junior Kateryna Yergina, who owns a 2-1 mark at the No. 1 singles position.
Meanwhile, the Demon Deacons enter the weekend with a 3-0 record. Senior Sasha Kulikova leads Wake at No. 1 singles with a 3-0 mark, while she and freshman Kathryn Talbert own a 3-0 record in No. 1 doubles action. Last season, the Decaons compiled a 13-13 record, and advanced to the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, where they lost to South Carolina, 4-0.
The losing teams from Saturday's matches will meet on the courts Sunday at 10 a.m., followed by the winning teams at 2 p.m. The team that finishes this weekend's play with two wins will advance to the ITA National Indoor Team Championships Feb. 12-15 at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison, Wis.
In last year's qualifying round, held in Durham, the then No. 9 Blue Devils defeated 35th-ranked VCU, 6-1, and No. 32 Ohio State, 4-2. From there, Duke advanced to the National Team Indoor Championship in Madison, Wis. The Blue Devils cruised to a 7-0 victory over host Wisconsin before falling to top-ranked Northwestern in the quarterfinals, 4-3. Duke rebounded in the consolation match to upset No. 4 Baylor, 4-3. Ellah Nze clinched the win over Baylor with a victory at the No. 2 singles position. She defeated her 32nd-ranked opponent by scores of 6-2, 5-7, 6-4.
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Monday, January 26
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