Upcoming Event: Women's Tennis versus ITA Regional Championship on October 16, 2025
Women's Tennis
vs ITA Regional Championship
Sunday, March 30
Durham, N.C.
11:00 AM
Duke University
vs
SMU
Photo by: Bri Shaw, Duke Athletics
Blue Devils Close Weekend by Hosting SMU on Sunday
3/28/2025 11:07:00 AM | Women's Tennis
#61 SMU (9-10, 3-5 ACC) at #9 Duke (15-2, 7-0 ACC)
Sunday, March 30 at 11:00 a.m. (ET)
Ambler Tennis Stadium * Durham, N.C.
Live Scoring l Watch l ACC CrossCourt Cast l Digital Program
DURHAM, N.C. – Coming off its third top-10 victory of the season, the ninth-ranked Duke women's tennis team will close the weekend by hosting 61st-ranked SMU on Sunday, March 30 at 11 a.m., at Ambler Tennis Stadium.
The Blue Devils feature a 15-2 overall and 7-0 ACC ledger, while the Mustangs feature a 9-10, 3-5 ACC mark. SMU also faces North Carolina Friday, March 28 prior to the meeting on Sunday with Duke.
Duke's current 7-0 ACC mark leads the ACC with California just behind with a 6-0 mark. The Blue Devils last opened the season with a 7-0 ACC start was in the 2017-18 campaign.
The Series with SMU
Duke and SMU will meet for the first time in program history.
Scouting SMU
No. 61 SMU enters the weekend with a 9-10 overall and 3-5 ACC mark. The Mustangs' doubles duo of Sophie Llewellyn and Ellie Pittman are currently ranked No. 35 nationally.
What is Next
Duke hits the road for a pair of contests on the West Coast as the Blue Devils travel to 28th-ranked Stanford (April 4) and 17th-ranked California (April 5).
Last Time Out
Ninth-ranked Duke went on the road Wednesday and registered an impressive 4-2 victory over fourth-ranked North Carolina at the Chewning Tennis Center in Chapel Hill. Senior Ellie Coleman registered her third match-clinching victory against a top-10 opponent this season, while Duke also received singles wins from freshman Liv Hovde, senior Emma Jackson and sophomore Shavit Kimchi.
Duke notched its first win in Chapel Hill since April 6, 2011, and snapped a six-match losing streak against the Tar Heels on the road. It marked just the third win against UNC over the last 18 matches.
Hovde posted her second career ranked singles win and the highest of her short career defeating the No. 15 player in the nation. She is now 4-2 overall and 2-2 in the ACC. Coleman and Jackson both won their eighth-straight singles match, while Kimchi won her sixth in a row.
In the Duke Record Book
Senior Emma Jackson owns 24 wins at the No. 3 singles position over her four years, which ranks tied for sixth on Duke's all-time charts. She needs one more to move into a tie for fifth along with Chalena Scholl.
With her win Wednesday at North Carolina, Jackson moved into a tie for 20th on Duke's record book with 24 ACC career wins. She owns a 24-14 ledger tied Wendy Fix and Vanessa Webb. With her next ACC win, she will move into a tie for 19th along with Christine Neuman. Ellie Coleman is inching closer as well with a 23-7 mark.
Both Jackson and Coleman have combined for a 13-0 record in the ACC to open the season.
ITA Rankings
In the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) rankings, Duke remained in the top 10 nationally at No. 9. Duke head coach Jamie Ashworth has led the Blue Devils into the top 10 of the ITA rankings in 21 out of the last 23 years.
In the latest singles rankings, Duke boasted five ranked student-athletes -- Irina Balus (12), Emma Jackson (25), Eleana Yu (41), Shavit Kimchi (66) and Ellie Coleman (125) – along with one ranked doubles team – Ellie Coleman and Balus (13).
Earlier this spring, Balus became the eighth Blue Devil freshman to be ranked in the top 10 nationally and the first since Maria Mateas in 2019. In looking at the ITA rankings, Balus is the second-highest freshman ranked nationally behind Valerie Glozman of Stanford (6).
Ashworth Nearing Another Win Milestone
Duke head coach Jamie Ashworth needs one ACC victory to reach 250 over his career. He will become the first ACC coach to reach 250 league wins over his career. Last year, he joined the 600-win club over his career.
Match-Clinching Wins
Senior Emma Jackson has totaled four match-clinching wins so far this season and has moved her career total to 17 over her four seasons. She now ranks fourth on Duke's all-time record charts with her 17 match-clinching victories.
Ellie Coleman has totaled three match-clinching wins this season and now owns 12 match-clinching wins over her four years to rank tied for 12th at Duke.
Hovde Makes Duke Debut at Boston College & Syracuse
Head coach Jamie Ashworth added 2022 Wimbledon girls' singles champion Liv Hovde to the roster on Dec. 23 heading into the spring season and she made her 2025 debut on the road at Boston College and Syracuse. Neither of her singles matches were finished, while she won one of her double's contests in the opening weekend. Hovde registered her first collegiate singles win at Clemson on March 9 and currently owns a three-match winning streak heading into the weekend.
A native of St. Paul, Minn., Hovde is a former No. 1 recruit nationally, while featuring an Intercollegiate Tennis Federation (ITF) career-high ranking of No. 3 and a Women's Tennis Association (WTA) career-high rankings of No. 245 in singles and No. 354 in doubles. Hovde also owns seven ITF titles.
The Head Coach
Head coach Jamie Ashworth is in his 29th season with the Blue Devils and owns an impressive 618-160 ledger. Last season, Ashworth registered his 600th victory on Jan. 20 in a 4-2 win over Illinois. He accomplished this mark in only 747 matches becoming the quickest coach to 600 wins.
Quickest to 600 Wins – 747 games by Jamie Ashworth (Duke), 749 by Jeff Wallace (Georgia), 779 by Brian Kalbas (William & Mary/North Carolina), and 785 by Lin Loring (UC Santa Barbara/Indiana).
Ashworth became the seventh NCAA Division I coach to reach the 600-win ledger – Loring (846), Wallace (818), Kalbas (748), Jay Louderback (703), Geoff MacDonald (631), Gualberto Escudero (Pepperdine) and Ashworth (600).
Among the winningest coaches of all time, Ashworth ranks 11th with a 79.7 winning percentage, seventh with 627 wins, fourth for winningest active coaches by percentage (79.7) and second for winningest active coaches by victories.
Big Sets for Little Hearts
The Duke men's and women's tennis programs announced a partnership with the Duke Children's Hospital Pediatric and Congenital Heart Center called Big Sets for Little Hearts this past fall.
Big Sets for Little Hearts pledges will be made based on the number of sets won by the men's and women's tennis programs. Last year, both tennis teams combined for 647 sets won.
If you are interested in supporting Blue Devil tennis' partnership with Duke Children's, you can pledge for each set won during the season or make a one-time donation. Pledges start at $0.10, $0.50, $1.00 and $2.50. Based on last year's results, the smallest pledged donation would be equal to $64.70. For more information or to donate, click here.
The Duke Children's Pediatric and Congenital Heart Center is the No. 2 ranked pediatric cardiology and heart surgery program in the United States for newborns and children with congenital and acquired heart disease. The Duke Pediatric and Congenital Heart Center strives to improve their patients' outcomes and the quality of their lives.
Noting the Blue Devils
To stay up to date with Blue Devils women's tennis, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWTEN".
#GoDuke
Sunday, March 30 at 11:00 a.m. (ET)
Ambler Tennis Stadium * Durham, N.C.
Live Scoring l Watch l ACC CrossCourt Cast l Digital Program
DURHAM, N.C. – Coming off its third top-10 victory of the season, the ninth-ranked Duke women's tennis team will close the weekend by hosting 61st-ranked SMU on Sunday, March 30 at 11 a.m., at Ambler Tennis Stadium.
The Blue Devils feature a 15-2 overall and 7-0 ACC ledger, while the Mustangs feature a 9-10, 3-5 ACC mark. SMU also faces North Carolina Friday, March 28 prior to the meeting on Sunday with Duke.
Duke's current 7-0 ACC mark leads the ACC with California just behind with a 6-0 mark. The Blue Devils last opened the season with a 7-0 ACC start was in the 2017-18 campaign.
The Series with SMU
Duke and SMU will meet for the first time in program history.
Scouting SMU
No. 61 SMU enters the weekend with a 9-10 overall and 3-5 ACC mark. The Mustangs' doubles duo of Sophie Llewellyn and Ellie Pittman are currently ranked No. 35 nationally.
What is Next
Duke hits the road for a pair of contests on the West Coast as the Blue Devils travel to 28th-ranked Stanford (April 4) and 17th-ranked California (April 5).
Last Time Out
Ninth-ranked Duke went on the road Wednesday and registered an impressive 4-2 victory over fourth-ranked North Carolina at the Chewning Tennis Center in Chapel Hill. Senior Ellie Coleman registered her third match-clinching victory against a top-10 opponent this season, while Duke also received singles wins from freshman Liv Hovde, senior Emma Jackson and sophomore Shavit Kimchi.
Duke notched its first win in Chapel Hill since April 6, 2011, and snapped a six-match losing streak against the Tar Heels on the road. It marked just the third win against UNC over the last 18 matches.
Hovde posted her second career ranked singles win and the highest of her short career defeating the No. 15 player in the nation. She is now 4-2 overall and 2-2 in the ACC. Coleman and Jackson both won their eighth-straight singles match, while Kimchi won her sixth in a row.
In the Duke Record Book
Senior Emma Jackson owns 24 wins at the No. 3 singles position over her four years, which ranks tied for sixth on Duke's all-time charts. She needs one more to move into a tie for fifth along with Chalena Scholl.
With her win Wednesday at North Carolina, Jackson moved into a tie for 20th on Duke's record book with 24 ACC career wins. She owns a 24-14 ledger tied Wendy Fix and Vanessa Webb. With her next ACC win, she will move into a tie for 19th along with Christine Neuman. Ellie Coleman is inching closer as well with a 23-7 mark.
Both Jackson and Coleman have combined for a 13-0 record in the ACC to open the season.
ITA Rankings
In the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) rankings, Duke remained in the top 10 nationally at No. 9. Duke head coach Jamie Ashworth has led the Blue Devils into the top 10 of the ITA rankings in 21 out of the last 23 years.
In the latest singles rankings, Duke boasted five ranked student-athletes -- Irina Balus (12), Emma Jackson (25), Eleana Yu (41), Shavit Kimchi (66) and Ellie Coleman (125) – along with one ranked doubles team – Ellie Coleman and Balus (13).
Earlier this spring, Balus became the eighth Blue Devil freshman to be ranked in the top 10 nationally and the first since Maria Mateas in 2019. In looking at the ITA rankings, Balus is the second-highest freshman ranked nationally behind Valerie Glozman of Stanford (6).
Ashworth Nearing Another Win Milestone
Duke head coach Jamie Ashworth needs one ACC victory to reach 250 over his career. He will become the first ACC coach to reach 250 league wins over his career. Last year, he joined the 600-win club over his career.
Match-Clinching Wins
Senior Emma Jackson has totaled four match-clinching wins so far this season and has moved her career total to 17 over her four seasons. She now ranks fourth on Duke's all-time record charts with her 17 match-clinching victories.
Ellie Coleman has totaled three match-clinching wins this season and now owns 12 match-clinching wins over her four years to rank tied for 12th at Duke.
Hovde Makes Duke Debut at Boston College & Syracuse
Head coach Jamie Ashworth added 2022 Wimbledon girls' singles champion Liv Hovde to the roster on Dec. 23 heading into the spring season and she made her 2025 debut on the road at Boston College and Syracuse. Neither of her singles matches were finished, while she won one of her double's contests in the opening weekend. Hovde registered her first collegiate singles win at Clemson on March 9 and currently owns a three-match winning streak heading into the weekend.
A native of St. Paul, Minn., Hovde is a former No. 1 recruit nationally, while featuring an Intercollegiate Tennis Federation (ITF) career-high ranking of No. 3 and a Women's Tennis Association (WTA) career-high rankings of No. 245 in singles and No. 354 in doubles. Hovde also owns seven ITF titles.
The Head Coach
Head coach Jamie Ashworth is in his 29th season with the Blue Devils and owns an impressive 618-160 ledger. Last season, Ashworth registered his 600th victory on Jan. 20 in a 4-2 win over Illinois. He accomplished this mark in only 747 matches becoming the quickest coach to 600 wins.
Quickest to 600 Wins – 747 games by Jamie Ashworth (Duke), 749 by Jeff Wallace (Georgia), 779 by Brian Kalbas (William & Mary/North Carolina), and 785 by Lin Loring (UC Santa Barbara/Indiana).
Ashworth became the seventh NCAA Division I coach to reach the 600-win ledger – Loring (846), Wallace (818), Kalbas (748), Jay Louderback (703), Geoff MacDonald (631), Gualberto Escudero (Pepperdine) and Ashworth (600).
Among the winningest coaches of all time, Ashworth ranks 11th with a 79.7 winning percentage, seventh with 627 wins, fourth for winningest active coaches by percentage (79.7) and second for winningest active coaches by victories.
Big Sets for Little Hearts
The Duke men's and women's tennis programs announced a partnership with the Duke Children's Hospital Pediatric and Congenital Heart Center called Big Sets for Little Hearts this past fall.
Big Sets for Little Hearts pledges will be made based on the number of sets won by the men's and women's tennis programs. Last year, both tennis teams combined for 647 sets won.
If you are interested in supporting Blue Devil tennis' partnership with Duke Children's, you can pledge for each set won during the season or make a one-time donation. Pledges start at $0.10, $0.50, $1.00 and $2.50. Based on last year's results, the smallest pledged donation would be equal to $64.70. For more information or to donate, click here.
The Duke Children's Pediatric and Congenital Heart Center is the No. 2 ranked pediatric cardiology and heart surgery program in the United States for newborns and children with congenital and acquired heart disease. The Duke Pediatric and Congenital Heart Center strives to improve their patients' outcomes and the quality of their lives.
Noting the Blue Devils
- A few Blue Devils are currently riding singles winning streak heading into the next match – Ava Krug (6), Emma Jackson (8), Ellie Coleman (8) and Shavit Kimchi (6).
- Rookie Ava Krug continued her host start to her collegiate career moving to 10-2 overall and 5-0 in dual match action. She improved to 2-0 in ACC play as well.
- Freshman Irina Balus has been tabbed the ACC Freshman of the Week on Feb. 18 and Jan. 28 so far this season.
- Senior Ellie Coleman has now totaled the match-clinching win against three top-10 opponents – No. 10 NC State, No. 6 Michigan and No. 4 North Carolina. For her career, she owns 12 match-clinching victories.
- Duke freshman Ava Krug has a couple of familiar faces around Durham this season as her brothers, Jake and Connor, are seniors on the Blue Devil men's tennis team.
- The Blue Devils own a 23-17 ledger against top-10 teams over the last eight years.
- Since the 2000-01 season, Duke has collected a 267-27 record at home, including a 124-17 ledger in 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".
#GoDuke
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
Eleana Yu Post Match vs. Auburn
Saturday, May 10
Jame Ashworth Post Match vs. Auburn
Saturday, May 10
Ellie Coleman Post Match vs. FAU
Saturday, May 03
Jamie Ashworth Post Match vs. FAU
Saturday, May 03
