Duke Suffers 4-1 Setback at North Carolina

Wednesday, April 15

Chapel Hill, N.C.

3:00 PM

Duke University

North Carolina

Duke Suffers 4-1 Setback at North Carolina

4/15/2015 7:32:00 PM | Women's Tennis

By: Duke Sports Information

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The 23rd-ranked Duke women's tennis team jumped out to an early lead over in-state rival and top-ranked North Carolina Wednesday, but ultimately fell, 4-1, in Chapel Hill, N.C. The loss to the Tar Heels ends a three-match winning streak that the Blue Devils held over North Carolina which dated back to last season. Duke falls to 14-8 on the year and 9-3 in conference play with the loss.

“[North Carolina] played really well today in singles,” head coach Jamie Ashworth said. “I didn't think we played poorly. In the spots that I thought we had some advantages, [North Carolina] played really well. They played big points well and they didn't let losing doubles get to them. It probably motivated them more. Our doubles was the best it's been all year. Singles we had some opportunities. In four of the matches, we had opportunities to win sets and we couldn't do it. That's disappointing, but hopefully we realize how good of a team we can be and take that into our last matches this weekend and in the upcoming tournament.”

The Blue Devils came away from one of the most energetic and fast-paced doubles matches of the season with the crucial doubles point before heading into singles against the Tar Heels.

Playing in just their second match together this season, senior Annie Mulholland and sophomore Chalena Scholl led Duke off the doubles courts with an 8-4 victory over 49th-ranked Ashley Dai and Kate Vialle. Mulholland and Scholl trailed just once throughout the contest, falling behind, 2-3. The Duke tandem would win two straight games before Dai and Vialle tied the match at 4-4. With a pair of breaks and strong serving games from both Mulholland and Scholl, the Duke team would close out the contest and earn its second win of the season.

The doubles point was clinched by the 51st-ranked tandem of junior Beatrice Capra and freshman Samantha Harris. The Duke tandem defeated North Carolina's 27th-ranked team of Hayley Carter and Whitney Kay, 8-3, the highest ranked opponent the Blue Devils defeated this season. After trailing 1-2 in the early stages of the match, Capra and Harris showed no signs of panic, using a critical hold at 2-2 to create some momentum. The Duke pair would gain a two-game advantage before Carter and Kay pulled within a game. The North Carolina duo would get no closer however, as Capra and Harris would win four straight games to take the match and earn their seventh win of the season.

The match on court one between the Duke pair of senior Ester Goldfeld and sophomore Alyssa Smith and North Carolina's 11th-ranked duo of Caroline Price and Jamie Loeb was abandoned, with Goldfeld and Smith trailing, 4-7.

The Tar Heels would come storming back on the singles courts however, winning the first set at five of the six positions. The Blue Devils showed determination on the singles courts, demonstrating fight even after dropping the first set by playing close second sets and forcing third sets on two of the courts.

“You have to play with fight and determination,” Ashworth said. “We talked before the match about playing free and not having anything to lose. I think [Duke's players] realized that late in the singles matches.”

On court six, Mulholland dropped her contest against 111th-ranked Dai, 2-6, 5-7. With Mulholland down by a game, 2-3, in the first set, Dai put together a string of three straight games to take a one set lead. In the second set, Mulholland fought back from an 0-3 deficit to take a 4-3 lead. She was unable to hold off a late surge from Dai however, who would win four of the next five games to take the set and the match. Mulholland falls to 18-10 with the loss.

The Tar Heels would take a 2-1 lead after 116th-ranked Capra suffered a 2-6, 4-6 defeat against sixth-ranked Loeb. Loeb took the lead against Capra from the outset of the first set and never relinquished it. In the second set, Capra and Loeb sat tied at 2-2 before Loeb won three consecutive games, bringing the score to 2-5. Capra rallied to pull within a game, but was unable to close out the second set, falling to 8-8 on the year with the loss.

North Carolina moved within a point of the team victory following 84th-ranked Harris' loss to No. 25 Price. Harris dropped the match, 1-6, 6-1, 2-6. In the first set, Harris was unable to make up the three game difference Price owned over her when the two competitors sat at 1-4. It would be Harris who led 4-1 in the second set, winning the set, 6-1. In the third set, Harris trailed by two games, with the score at 2-4, and she was unable to bridge the gap, surrendering the final two to Price. Harris moves to 20-8 overall with the loss and 8-4 in ACC play.

The contest was clinched on court two by 15th-ranked Carter, who upended 37th-ranked Goldfeld, 4-6, 6-3, 1-6. Goldfeld held a 3-2 advantage in the first set of the match, but she was unable to respond when Carter won three consecutive games to take a 3-5 lead. The second set proved to be all Goldfeld, who raced out to a 5-1 lead, and although Carter would win two additional games in the set, Goldfeld was able to force a third set. Unfortunately, Goldfeld's momentum would stall in the third set as she was able to take just one game from Carter. Goldfeld remains Duke's wins leader with 24 this season, while her overall record is now 24-12.

With the match clinched, the contest on court four between redshirt senior and 121st-ranked Rachel Kahan and 97th-ranked Kay remained unfinished at 3-6, 6-6. The match on court five, between Scholl and Vialle was also abandoned, with the competition all knotted, 6-4, 4-6, 1-1.

Duke returns to Durham, N.C., to face Wake Forest Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. The match will serve as Duke's senior day.

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