Upcoming Event: Women's Tennis at Kitty Harrison Invitational on September 12, 2025
Women's Tennis
at Kitty Harrison Invitational
Monday, October 24
Chapel Hill, N.C.
All Day
Duke University
vs
Day Five at ITA Regionals
Duke Doubles Pair Claims ITA Regional Title
10/24/2016 1:40:00 PM | Women's Tennis
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- For the first time since the 2012 season, a Blue Devil tandem claimed the ITA Carolina Region title, as the Duke duo of junior Samantha Harris and sophomore Ellyse Hamlin defeated South Carolina's team of Caroline Dailey and Mia Horvit, 6-3, 5-7, 1-0 (10-8) in the championship match of the ITA Regional Championships Presented by Oracle Monday morning in Chapel Hill, N.C. With the victory, Harris and Hamlin secured a spot in next month's USTA/ITA National Indoors event, held in Flushing, N.Y.
“It feels really good,” Harris said. “Coming into this tournament, we hadn't actually ever played together before, and we hadn't practiced much together, but with each match, we kept getting better and better, and belief came with each match. We started to play some really good doubles, and we really believed in ourselves that we could win it.”
“We have the confidence in each other, which really helps,” Hamlin added. “I believe that she is going to make every shot, and that confidence in each other helps us do well.”
The Blue Devils jumped out to an early lead on the Gamecocks in the first set, using a pair of breaks and a hold with the score tied at 1-1 to take a 4-1 lead. Although Dailey and Horvit would win back-to-back games, pulling within a game of Harris and Hamlin, the Duke pair broke South Carolina's serve and successfully held serve to take the set.
In the second set, the two tandems traded games, tying the score at 3-3, but Dailey and Horvit seemed to secure the momentum by winning two straight games and taking a 5-3 advantage. Undeterred, Harris and Hamlin responded by claiming consecutive games as well, once again tying the score, but the rhythm of the match would shift, as Horvit and Dailey won back-to-back games to win the second set and force a 10-point tiebreak.
“The biggest thing was overcoming adversity for them,” head coach Jamie Ashworth said. “[Harris and Hamlin] went through a stretch during the second set where we didn't play great. The way the format is, South Carolina could capitalize on that, especially carrying momentum into a 10-point tiebreaker. I think that we were able to overcome that adversity, and when it got close in the breaker, we played some of our best tennis.”
In the tiebreak, Horvit and Dailey stormed out to a 5-1 lead, but Harris and Hamlin battled back to within a point of the South Carolina duo, bringing the score to 5-4. Harris and Hamlin reclaimed the lead, winning four of the next six points to take an 8-7 advantage. Although Horvit and Dailey would tie the tiebreak at 8-8, the Blue Devil pair became locked in and secured the victory by taking the final two points.
“In those situations, it's important to go for it,” Harris said. “You have to trust yourself and keep swinging. Everyone on the court was tight at that moment, and I think we really just wanted to go for it.”
“I was nervous on that last serve and return, but you don't want to have any regrets when you finish a match,” Hamlin said.
With Monday morning's victory, the team of Harris and Hamlin's record improved to a perfect 5-0.
Next up, Harris and Hamlin will travel to Flushing, N.Y., to participate in the USTA/ITA National Indoors. The four-day tournament is slated to begin Thursday, Nov. 3, and run through Sunday, Nov. 6.
#GoDuke
Players Mentioned
PLAYER
/ Women's Tennis
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