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From Rivals to Doubles Partners: Shvets & Bryzgalova Dominating the Court and the Classroom, Together
4/1/2024 1:00:00 PM | Women's Tennis
By Morgan Pruchniewski, Duke Athletics Communications Student Assistant
DURHAM -- For Brianna Shvets and Iuliia Bryzgalova, playing collegiate tennis means a chance to excel both academically and athletically. Although now competing for Duke, both athletes have had a long journey before becoming Blue Devils.
Shvets started her college career playing for Princeton. She came in as the No. 3 ranked recruit in the nation, quickly making a name for herself within the Ivy League. Shvets defeated many impressive, ranked opponents, including No. 1 Ashley Lahey of Pepperdine right before COVID struck, and served as a team captain for the Tigers throughout her career.
At the University of Pennsylvania, Bryzgalova was compiling an impressive resume of her own. In her rookie season, she won Ivy League Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year along with qualifying for the NCAA Singles Championship. Bryzgalova went on to also become an Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-American in singles and defeat many ranked opponents during her time at Penn.
During their time at their respective Ivy League institutions, Bryzgalova and Shvets were rivals, playing each other multiple times. The intense rivalry between Princeton and Penn put them on opposite sides of the court. But once COVID hit, they found themselves in the same boat.
With the Ivy League canceling competition during the 2020-21 season due to the COVID pandemic, both Shvets and Bryzgalova gained extra years of eligibility, that along with the transfer portal left them with a brand-new opportunity: studying at the Duke Fuqua School of Business, while playing for the Blue Devils.
"I'm very thankful for being able to use my eligibility," said Shvets. "Otherwise, I could've gone a very different path. I thought I would've worked a few years and maybe went back to get my MBA, this was never how I envisioned it."
"When I realized I had two years of eligibility and Jamie [Ashworth] mentioned this opportunity to do two degrees in two years I became very interested," said Bryzgalova.
Beyond just the educational opportunity of Fuqua, both athletes had the opportunity to take on a new team by joining Duke women's tennis.
"Duke's resources are absolutely amazing, top of the line," said Shvets. "The athletics, the strength coaching, the trainers, the facility itself. Here I was shocked by how there is such a good balance between great academics and absolute top tier athletics."
"Duke is an amazing school, the combination of athletics and school is one of the best in the country," said Bryzgalova. "Here I have the chance to play some of the top teams in the country. It's an amazing experience."
This academic and athletic opportunity also brought a huge change to their relationship. The once rivals became teammates, and now are even doubles partners.
"One of the things I am most grateful for from my time at Duke is my friendship with Iuliia," said Shvets. "I truly consider her one of my best friends. It has been amazing having someone with the same background as me coming into the team by my side. She's someone I can bounce ideas off of and made the challenge of being the 'new player' so much easier. We have so much fun together."
"Brianna's made my experience at Duke genuinely special," said Bryzgalova. "Coming from a similar background and going through similar difficulties, especially being older and joining a new team and making this transition, she made it so much easier for me. I love her and the other girls on the team, we vibe so well."
Both Bryzgalova and Shvets settled into the team quickly last year and now feel a part of the Blue Devil culture.
"Jamie sets a wonderful tone, everyone has a say and works together to make team wide decisions," said Shvets. "That was something that came through as soon as I came on my visit to Duke."
"Every practice feels special," said Bryzgalova. "Every weekend coming to play with the girls - my team - is very special. We've established a routine together, and before we leave the locker room we always say 'Playing together with you guys is already special, so it doesn't matter how it goes, we just need to enjoy every moment'. These are the moments out of my career that I will remember the most."
Finishing up their last year of both Fuqua and college tennis, both players feel a strong sense of pride in the community they've gained through Duke Tennis.
"The proudest that I've been is coming together this year as a team," said Shvets. "We've crafted a culture and become an even tighter knit group and bonded in such an amazing way. We have all these new traditions and I'm proud that even though tennis is very intense and the school is amazing, we are able to put that aside and prioritize ourselves and our team culture and being together. I think that is something to be celebrated."
"I feel extremely fortunate. A lot of stars have aligned to allow me to play at Duke," said Bryzgalova. "It is truly special. The people that I've met here are amazing with amazing stories. I feel just so lucky that I am where I am today."
Both Shvets and Bryzgalova will be graduating from Duke with their MBAs through the Fuqua AMBA program. Bryzgalova plans to pursue a career in private equity, while Shvets has taken a job in the reinsurance industry following graduation. Shvets also has another exciting life event on the horizon. This summer she will tie the knot with her high school sweetheart, before moving to Pennsylvania to pursue her career.
"Fuqua gave me such a good start in life and has opened so many doors for me," said Bryzgalova. "The technical experience has been invaluable, and I feel lucky to be where I'm at."
"Because of Fuqua I was able to achieve my dream job," said Shvets. "The technical analysis I've learned here, the team building atmosphere that I've learned both on and off the court here has been incredible. It's truly a one-of-a-kind education and it's set me up perfectly. For that I am absolutely grateful."
Duke will close its home portion of its 2024 schedule this weekend as the Blue Devils host Virginia Tech and Virginia on Friday and Sunday, respectively. Friday's match will open at 5 p.m., while Sunday's will be a 12 p.m., start at Ambler Tennis Stadium.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils women's tennis, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWTEN".
Duke Centennial
In 2024, Duke celebrates its Centennial, marking one hundred years since Trinity College became Duke University. Duke will use this historic milestone to deepen the understanding of its history, inspire pride and strengthen bonds and partnerships, and prepare for a second century of continued excellence and impactful leadership. To learn more, please visit 100.duke.edu
#GoDuke
DURHAM -- For Brianna Shvets and Iuliia Bryzgalova, playing collegiate tennis means a chance to excel both academically and athletically. Although now competing for Duke, both athletes have had a long journey before becoming Blue Devils.
Shvets started her college career playing for Princeton. She came in as the No. 3 ranked recruit in the nation, quickly making a name for herself within the Ivy League. Shvets defeated many impressive, ranked opponents, including No. 1 Ashley Lahey of Pepperdine right before COVID struck, and served as a team captain for the Tigers throughout her career.
At the University of Pennsylvania, Bryzgalova was compiling an impressive resume of her own. In her rookie season, she won Ivy League Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year along with qualifying for the NCAA Singles Championship. Bryzgalova went on to also become an Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-American in singles and defeat many ranked opponents during her time at Penn.
During their time at their respective Ivy League institutions, Bryzgalova and Shvets were rivals, playing each other multiple times. The intense rivalry between Princeton and Penn put them on opposite sides of the court. But once COVID hit, they found themselves in the same boat.
With the Ivy League canceling competition during the 2020-21 season due to the COVID pandemic, both Shvets and Bryzgalova gained extra years of eligibility, that along with the transfer portal left them with a brand-new opportunity: studying at the Duke Fuqua School of Business, while playing for the Blue Devils.
"I'm very thankful for being able to use my eligibility," said Shvets. "Otherwise, I could've gone a very different path. I thought I would've worked a few years and maybe went back to get my MBA, this was never how I envisioned it."
"When I realized I had two years of eligibility and Jamie [Ashworth] mentioned this opportunity to do two degrees in two years I became very interested," said Bryzgalova.
Beyond just the educational opportunity of Fuqua, both athletes had the opportunity to take on a new team by joining Duke women's tennis.
"Duke's resources are absolutely amazing, top of the line," said Shvets. "The athletics, the strength coaching, the trainers, the facility itself. Here I was shocked by how there is such a good balance between great academics and absolute top tier athletics."
"Duke is an amazing school, the combination of athletics and school is one of the best in the country," said Bryzgalova. "Here I have the chance to play some of the top teams in the country. It's an amazing experience."
This academic and athletic opportunity also brought a huge change to their relationship. The once rivals became teammates, and now are even doubles partners.
"One of the things I am most grateful for from my time at Duke is my friendship with Iuliia," said Shvets. "I truly consider her one of my best friends. It has been amazing having someone with the same background as me coming into the team by my side. She's someone I can bounce ideas off of and made the challenge of being the 'new player' so much easier. We have so much fun together."
"Brianna's made my experience at Duke genuinely special," said Bryzgalova. "Coming from a similar background and going through similar difficulties, especially being older and joining a new team and making this transition, she made it so much easier for me. I love her and the other girls on the team, we vibe so well."
Both Bryzgalova and Shvets settled into the team quickly last year and now feel a part of the Blue Devil culture.
"Jamie sets a wonderful tone, everyone has a say and works together to make team wide decisions," said Shvets. "That was something that came through as soon as I came on my visit to Duke."
"Every practice feels special," said Bryzgalova. "Every weekend coming to play with the girls - my team - is very special. We've established a routine together, and before we leave the locker room we always say 'Playing together with you guys is already special, so it doesn't matter how it goes, we just need to enjoy every moment'. These are the moments out of my career that I will remember the most."
Finishing up their last year of both Fuqua and college tennis, both players feel a strong sense of pride in the community they've gained through Duke Tennis.
"The proudest that I've been is coming together this year as a team," said Shvets. "We've crafted a culture and become an even tighter knit group and bonded in such an amazing way. We have all these new traditions and I'm proud that even though tennis is very intense and the school is amazing, we are able to put that aside and prioritize ourselves and our team culture and being together. I think that is something to be celebrated."
"I feel extremely fortunate. A lot of stars have aligned to allow me to play at Duke," said Bryzgalova. "It is truly special. The people that I've met here are amazing with amazing stories. I feel just so lucky that I am where I am today."
Both Shvets and Bryzgalova will be graduating from Duke with their MBAs through the Fuqua AMBA program. Bryzgalova plans to pursue a career in private equity, while Shvets has taken a job in the reinsurance industry following graduation. Shvets also has another exciting life event on the horizon. This summer she will tie the knot with her high school sweetheart, before moving to Pennsylvania to pursue her career.
"Fuqua gave me such a good start in life and has opened so many doors for me," said Bryzgalova. "The technical experience has been invaluable, and I feel lucky to be where I'm at."
"Because of Fuqua I was able to achieve my dream job," said Shvets. "The technical analysis I've learned here, the team building atmosphere that I've learned both on and off the court here has been incredible. It's truly a one-of-a-kind education and it's set me up perfectly. For that I am absolutely grateful."
Duke will close its home portion of its 2024 schedule this weekend as the Blue Devils host Virginia Tech and Virginia on Friday and Sunday, respectively. Friday's match will open at 5 p.m., while Sunday's will be a 12 p.m., start at Ambler Tennis Stadium.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils women's tennis, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWTEN".
Duke Centennial
In 2024, Duke celebrates its Centennial, marking one hundred years since Trinity College became Duke University. Duke will use this historic milestone to deepen the understanding of its history, inspire pride and strengthen bonds and partnerships, and prepare for a second century of continued excellence and impactful leadership. To learn more, please visit 100.duke.edu
#GoDuke
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