Upcoming Event: Women's Tennis at Kitty Harrison Invitational on September 12, 2025
Women's Tennis
at Kitty Harrison Invitational
Friday, May 2
Durham, N.C.
4 pm
Duke University
vs
Bryant
Photo by: Duke Athletics
Blue Devils to Host NCAA First & Second Rounds Beginning Friday
5/1/2025 3:49:00 PM | Women's Tennis
DURHAM, N.C. – The eighth-seeded Duke women's tennis team opens the 2025 NCAA Tournament Friday by hosting the NCAA First and Second Rounds at Ambler Tennis Stadium in Durham. The Blue Devils face Bryant at 4 p.m.
Duke will also host No. 27 Florida Atlantic vs. No. 43 Old Dominion on Friday at 1 p.m. The winning teams of both first-round matches will take the court in the NCAA Second Round on Saturday, May 3 at 4 p.m.
Duke will provide live scoring and live video for all three matches in Durham this weekend. Cracked Racquets will also provide live coverage via its CrossCourt Cast coverage.
Tickets & Parking
Tickets for the NCAA First and Second Rounds will be $5 plus a $1 processing fee online and at the gate for ages three and up. Ages two and under receive free admission. Duke students will be admitted free with a valid student ID. No cash accepted, only major credit cards. Parking for all fans will be free in the Blue Zone lot.
Duke in the NCAA Championship
In 35 appearances, the Blue Devils have tallied an 81-34 record for a 70.4 winning percentage, advanced to the NCAA Semifinals 11 different times and won the 2009 NCAA Championship. Duke head coach Jamie Ashworth has guided the Blue Devils into the NCAA Tournament each of his 29 seasons at Duke, including nine semifinal trips and the 2009 title. The Blue Devils have advanced to the NCAA semifinals in three out of the last six NCAA Tournament appearances.
Ashworth owns a record of 69-26 (.726) in the tournament over his tenure at the helm of the program.
Duke's 35-consecutive appearances currently ranks sixth among active streaks nationally – UCLA (43), Stanford (43), Georgia (38), Arizona State (37) and Pepperdine (37).
Over the last seven years, Duke has been a top-8 seed in the NCAA Tournament in five of those seasons (2025 – No. 8, 2023 – No. 6, 2022 – No. 3, 2019 – No. 5, 2018 – No. 3).
The Blue Devils will host the NCAA First and Second Rounds for the 18th time in school history. Duke features a 34-2 record in Durham during the NCAA Tournament. The Blue Devils have won 11 out of their last 12 matches at home in the NCAA Tournament.
In NCAA Tournament action, Emma Jackson (4-1) and Ellie Coleman (1-3) have singles records, while Jackson (3-1), Coleman (3-2) and Shavit Kimchi (1-1) have doubles ledgers. Both Katie Codd and Kimchi competed last year in singles, but did not finish their matches.
A Look at the Blue Devils
Duke enters the NCAA Tournament with a 21-3 overall record and has won 16 out of its last 17 matches. The Blue Devils were seeded No. 8 overall in the NCAA Championship.
On the year, Duke has won the doubles point in 18 of the 24 matches, including six out of the last seven. In home matches, Duke has totaled an 11-1 ledger with seven wins in a row.
Blue Devil seniors Emma Jackson (26-10) and Ellie Coleman (24-6) have led Duke on the season in singles, while also totaling 23 and 24 doubles wins, respectively.
The Series with Bryant
Duke and Bryant will meet for the first time in program history.
Scouting Bryant
Bryant features a 15-6 record and is coming off a 4-2 win against top-seeded Southeast Missouri State in the Ohio Valley Conference Championship. The Bulldogs also knocked off second-seeded Western Illinois, 4-0, en route to the OVC title.
Duke Versus the OVC
The Blue Devils own an all-time 1-0 record against OVC opponents, defeating former conference member Eastern Kentucky, 7-2, in 1980.
The Series with Florida Atlantic
Duke and Florida Atlantic have never met in school history.
Scouting Florida Atlantic
Florida Atlantic owns a 16-1 record and an undefeated 15-0 record in regular season play. The Owls are coming off their first loss of the season, a 3-4 finish against Tulsa in the American Athletic Conference Semifinals. FAU is also 1-0 against opponents common with Duke, with a 4-1 victory over Miami in January. The Owls are ranked No. 27 nationally.
Duke Versus the AAC
The Blue Devils own an all-time 17-5 record against AAC opponents – Charlotte (3-0), East Carolina (5-0), Memphis (2-0), Rice (0-2), Temple (1-0), Tulsa (1-0), South Florida (4-3), Wichita State (1-0).
The Series with Old Dominion
Duke and Old Dominion have faced each other 10 times in program history, with Duke winning all 10 matches. Duke head coach Jamie Ashworth owns a 7-0 record against the Monarchs.
The last time the teams faced off was May 7, 2022, when Duke defeated Old Dominion, 4-1, in the NCAA Tournament second round in Durham, N.C. The Blue Devils hold a 7-0 record against the Monarchs in matches played in Durham.
Scouting Old Dominion
Old Dominion features a 19-4 record on the season, with an undefeated mark in the Sun Belt Conference at 11-0. The Monarchs are coming off a 4-1 victory over Marshall in the SBC Championship. Old Dominion is 2-3 against common opponents – Georgia Tech (0-1), James Madison (2-0), NC State (0-1) and Wake Forest (0-1).
In the ITA rankings, Sofia Johnson (20) is ranked in singles. As a team, the Monarchs are ranked No. 43 nationally.
Duke Versus the Sun Belt Conference
The Blue Devils own an all-time 16-0 record against Sun Belt opponents – Appalachian State (1-0), James Madison (2-0), Louisiana-Monroe (1-0), Old Dominion (10-0), and South Alabama (2-0).
Blue Devils vs. the NCAA Field
Duke owns a record of 11-3 against teams that received invitations to the 2025 NCAA Tournament – California (1-0), Clemson, (1-0), Georgia Tech (2-0), Michigan (1-0), NC State (1-0), North Carolina (1-0), Ohio State (0-1), Pepperdine (1-0), south Carolina (1-0), Stanford (1-0), Virginia (0-2), and Wake Forest (1-0).
All-ACC Honors
A trio of Duke women's tennis student-athletes – Irina Balus, Liv Hovde and Ellie Coleman – earned All-ACC recognition as the league announced All-ACC teams in both singles and doubles, following a vote of the head coaches.
Balus and Hovde, both Blue Devil rookies, were tabbed to the singles second and third teams, respectively. The 18th-ranked doubles team of Balus and Coleman were voted to the second team.
Duke Claims ACC Regular Season Title
Duke head coach Jamie Ashworth guided the Blue Devils to the 22nd ACC regular season title in program history and his 13th during his tenure at Duke. Eight of his 13 titles have been undefeated campaigns.
The Blue Devils brought home the regular season championship for the first time since 2018 and totaled their first undefeated regular season since 2012.
Other seasons the Blue Devils have won the ACC regular season titles include – 2018, 2017, 2012, 2011, 2009, 2006, 2003, 2002, 2001, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1994, 1993, 1992, 1991, 1990, 1989 and 1988. Duke featured undefeated ACC regular seasons in 2012, 2003, 2002, 2001, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1994, 1993, 1992, 1991, 1990 and 1988.
What is Next
If the Blue Devils win Friday, Duke advances to the NCAA Tournament second round to face the winner of the Florida Atlantic vs. Old Dominion contest. If Duke moves on to the round of 16, it will take place in Durham on May 9.
Jackson Having Career-Best Season
Duke senior Emma Jackson is having her best individual season in 2024-25 as she closes out her four-year career with the Blue Devils. She has totaled a career-best 26 singles wins, career-high eight ACC victories, 23 doubles wins and a career-high eight ACC doubles victories. Jackson has 159 career combined singles and doubles victories.
In the Duke Record Book
Senior Emma Jackson owns 26 wins at the No. 3 singles position over her four years, which ranks fifth on Duke's all-time charts. Jackson finished tied for 20th on Duke's record book with 25 ACC career wins. She owns a 25-16 ledger tied with Christine Neuman. Ellie Coleman (27-7) ranks tied for 16th with her 27 victories.
Both Jackson and Coleman combined for a 18-2 record in the ACC this season along with an overall mark of 49-16 in singles.
ITA Rankings
In the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) rankings, Duke remained in the top 10 nationally at No. 3. 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 six out of the last eight years, Duke has now been ranked in the top-5 nationally at one point during the season. The Blue Devils have also been ranked in the top-5 20 times over the last 25 years.
In the latest singles rankings, Duke boasted five ranked student-athletes - Emma Jackson (25), Irina Balus (26), Liv Hovde (61), Eleana Yu (72), Shavit Kimchi (95) and Ellie Coleman (98) are all listed. Duke's doubles duo of Coleman and Balus are also ranked No. 20 nationally.
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.
Ashworth Nets Another Milestone Win
Duke head coach Jamie Ashworth reached 250 ACC victories over his career with the win March 30 against SMU. He became the first ACC coach to reach 250 league wins over his career. Last year, he joined the 600-win club as well.
Match-Clinching Victories
Senior Emma Jackson has totaled five match-clinching wins so far this season and has moved her career total to 18 over her four seasons. She now ranks fourth on Duke's all-time record charts with her 18 match-clinching victories.
Ellie Coleman has totaled four match-clinching wins this season and now owns 13 match-clinching wins over her four years to rank 12th at Duke.
Hovde Making Impact on Blue Devils
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 doubles contests in the opening weekend.
Hovde registered her first collegiate singles win at Clemson on March 9 and currently owns a 6-5 ledger on the year. She recently collected her first collegiate ranked win with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over 15th-ranked Thea Rabman of North Carolina to help the Blue Devils to a 4-2 win against the fourth-ranked Tar Heels. Hovde was also named the ACC Freshman of the Week on April 8.
Duke has registered a 15-1 ledger with Hovde in the lineup.
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 Women's Tennis Association (WTA) career-high rankings of No. 245 in singles and No. 354 in doubles. Hovde also owns seven ITF titles.
Balus & Coleman Earn All-America Accolades
With the tandem of Irina Balus and Ellie Coleman advancing to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Doubles Championship in Waco, Texas this past November, the Blue Devil duo earned All-America accolades.
Duke's doubles team of Balus and Coleman registered two wins during the championship, starting with a 5-7, 6-4, 1-0 (10-6) victory over 23rd-ranked Elza Tomase and Catherine Aulia of Tennessee. In the round of 16, Balus and Coleman posted a 7-5, 6-3 win against 20th-ranked Lily Fairclough and Grace Piper of Southern California. The Blue Devil run came to an end in the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-1 defeat to Rachel Gailis and Alicia Dudeney of Florida.
Balus and Coleman finished the fall with a 9-2 ledger. Their appearance in the NCAA quarterfinals was the first for Duke since 2018 and they were just the 11th doubles tandem in program history to reach the quarterfinals.
Balus became the seventh Blue Devil freshman to earn NCAA Doubles All-America accolades – Karolina Berankova (2021), Kelly Chen (2018), Tory Zawacki (2004), Kelly McCain (2002), Karin Miller (1997) and Vanessa Webb (1996).
The Head Coach
Head coach Jamie Ashworth is in his 29th season with the Blue Devils and owns an impressive 633-161 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 633 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
Duke will also host No. 27 Florida Atlantic vs. No. 43 Old Dominion on Friday at 1 p.m. The winning teams of both first-round matches will take the court in the NCAA Second Round on Saturday, May 3 at 4 p.m.
Duke will provide live scoring and live video for all three matches in Durham this weekend. Cracked Racquets will also provide live coverage via its CrossCourt Cast coverage.
Tickets & Parking
Tickets for the NCAA First and Second Rounds will be $5 plus a $1 processing fee online and at the gate for ages three and up. Ages two and under receive free admission. Duke students will be admitted free with a valid student ID. No cash accepted, only major credit cards. Parking for all fans will be free in the Blue Zone lot.
Duke in the NCAA Championship
In 35 appearances, the Blue Devils have tallied an 81-34 record for a 70.4 winning percentage, advanced to the NCAA Semifinals 11 different times and won the 2009 NCAA Championship. Duke head coach Jamie Ashworth has guided the Blue Devils into the NCAA Tournament each of his 29 seasons at Duke, including nine semifinal trips and the 2009 title. The Blue Devils have advanced to the NCAA semifinals in three out of the last six NCAA Tournament appearances.
Ashworth owns a record of 69-26 (.726) in the tournament over his tenure at the helm of the program.
Duke's 35-consecutive appearances currently ranks sixth among active streaks nationally – UCLA (43), Stanford (43), Georgia (38), Arizona State (37) and Pepperdine (37).
Over the last seven years, Duke has been a top-8 seed in the NCAA Tournament in five of those seasons (2025 – No. 8, 2023 – No. 6, 2022 – No. 3, 2019 – No. 5, 2018 – No. 3).
The Blue Devils will host the NCAA First and Second Rounds for the 18th time in school history. Duke features a 34-2 record in Durham during the NCAA Tournament. The Blue Devils have won 11 out of their last 12 matches at home in the NCAA Tournament.
In NCAA Tournament action, Emma Jackson (4-1) and Ellie Coleman (1-3) have singles records, while Jackson (3-1), Coleman (3-2) and Shavit Kimchi (1-1) have doubles ledgers. Both Katie Codd and Kimchi competed last year in singles, but did not finish their matches.
A Look at the Blue Devils
Duke enters the NCAA Tournament with a 21-3 overall record and has won 16 out of its last 17 matches. The Blue Devils were seeded No. 8 overall in the NCAA Championship.
On the year, Duke has won the doubles point in 18 of the 24 matches, including six out of the last seven. In home matches, Duke has totaled an 11-1 ledger with seven wins in a row.
Blue Devil seniors Emma Jackson (26-10) and Ellie Coleman (24-6) have led Duke on the season in singles, while also totaling 23 and 24 doubles wins, respectively.
The Series with Bryant
Duke and Bryant will meet for the first time in program history.
Scouting Bryant
Bryant features a 15-6 record and is coming off a 4-2 win against top-seeded Southeast Missouri State in the Ohio Valley Conference Championship. The Bulldogs also knocked off second-seeded Western Illinois, 4-0, en route to the OVC title.
Duke Versus the OVC
The Blue Devils own an all-time 1-0 record against OVC opponents, defeating former conference member Eastern Kentucky, 7-2, in 1980.
The Series with Florida Atlantic
Duke and Florida Atlantic have never met in school history.
Scouting Florida Atlantic
Florida Atlantic owns a 16-1 record and an undefeated 15-0 record in regular season play. The Owls are coming off their first loss of the season, a 3-4 finish against Tulsa in the American Athletic Conference Semifinals. FAU is also 1-0 against opponents common with Duke, with a 4-1 victory over Miami in January. The Owls are ranked No. 27 nationally.
Duke Versus the AAC
The Blue Devils own an all-time 17-5 record against AAC opponents – Charlotte (3-0), East Carolina (5-0), Memphis (2-0), Rice (0-2), Temple (1-0), Tulsa (1-0), South Florida (4-3), Wichita State (1-0).
The Series with Old Dominion
Duke and Old Dominion have faced each other 10 times in program history, with Duke winning all 10 matches. Duke head coach Jamie Ashworth owns a 7-0 record against the Monarchs.
The last time the teams faced off was May 7, 2022, when Duke defeated Old Dominion, 4-1, in the NCAA Tournament second round in Durham, N.C. The Blue Devils hold a 7-0 record against the Monarchs in matches played in Durham.
Scouting Old Dominion
Old Dominion features a 19-4 record on the season, with an undefeated mark in the Sun Belt Conference at 11-0. The Monarchs are coming off a 4-1 victory over Marshall in the SBC Championship. Old Dominion is 2-3 against common opponents – Georgia Tech (0-1), James Madison (2-0), NC State (0-1) and Wake Forest (0-1).
In the ITA rankings, Sofia Johnson (20) is ranked in singles. As a team, the Monarchs are ranked No. 43 nationally.
Duke Versus the Sun Belt Conference
The Blue Devils own an all-time 16-0 record against Sun Belt opponents – Appalachian State (1-0), James Madison (2-0), Louisiana-Monroe (1-0), Old Dominion (10-0), and South Alabama (2-0).
Blue Devils vs. the NCAA Field
Duke owns a record of 11-3 against teams that received invitations to the 2025 NCAA Tournament – California (1-0), Clemson, (1-0), Georgia Tech (2-0), Michigan (1-0), NC State (1-0), North Carolina (1-0), Ohio State (0-1), Pepperdine (1-0), south Carolina (1-0), Stanford (1-0), Virginia (0-2), and Wake Forest (1-0).
All-ACC Honors
A trio of Duke women's tennis student-athletes – Irina Balus, Liv Hovde and Ellie Coleman – earned All-ACC recognition as the league announced All-ACC teams in both singles and doubles, following a vote of the head coaches.
Balus and Hovde, both Blue Devil rookies, were tabbed to the singles second and third teams, respectively. The 18th-ranked doubles team of Balus and Coleman were voted to the second team.
Duke Claims ACC Regular Season Title
Duke head coach Jamie Ashworth guided the Blue Devils to the 22nd ACC regular season title in program history and his 13th during his tenure at Duke. Eight of his 13 titles have been undefeated campaigns.
The Blue Devils brought home the regular season championship for the first time since 2018 and totaled their first undefeated regular season since 2012.
Other seasons the Blue Devils have won the ACC regular season titles include – 2018, 2017, 2012, 2011, 2009, 2006, 2003, 2002, 2001, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1994, 1993, 1992, 1991, 1990, 1989 and 1988. Duke featured undefeated ACC regular seasons in 2012, 2003, 2002, 2001, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1994, 1993, 1992, 1991, 1990 and 1988.
What is Next
If the Blue Devils win Friday, Duke advances to the NCAA Tournament second round to face the winner of the Florida Atlantic vs. Old Dominion contest. If Duke moves on to the round of 16, it will take place in Durham on May 9.
Jackson Having Career-Best Season
Duke senior Emma Jackson is having her best individual season in 2024-25 as she closes out her four-year career with the Blue Devils. She has totaled a career-best 26 singles wins, career-high eight ACC victories, 23 doubles wins and a career-high eight ACC doubles victories. Jackson has 159 career combined singles and doubles victories.
In the Duke Record Book
Senior Emma Jackson owns 26 wins at the No. 3 singles position over her four years, which ranks fifth on Duke's all-time charts. Jackson finished tied for 20th on Duke's record book with 25 ACC career wins. She owns a 25-16 ledger tied with Christine Neuman. Ellie Coleman (27-7) ranks tied for 16th with her 27 victories.
Both Jackson and Coleman combined for a 18-2 record in the ACC this season along with an overall mark of 49-16 in singles.
ITA Rankings
In the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) rankings, Duke remained in the top 10 nationally at No. 3. 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 six out of the last eight years, Duke has now been ranked in the top-5 nationally at one point during the season. The Blue Devils have also been ranked in the top-5 20 times over the last 25 years.
In the latest singles rankings, Duke boasted five ranked student-athletes - Emma Jackson (25), Irina Balus (26), Liv Hovde (61), Eleana Yu (72), Shavit Kimchi (95) and Ellie Coleman (98) are all listed. Duke's doubles duo of Coleman and Balus are also ranked No. 20 nationally.
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.
Ashworth Nets Another Milestone Win
Duke head coach Jamie Ashworth reached 250 ACC victories over his career with the win March 30 against SMU. He became the first ACC coach to reach 250 league wins over his career. Last year, he joined the 600-win club as well.
Match-Clinching Victories
Senior Emma Jackson has totaled five match-clinching wins so far this season and has moved her career total to 18 over her four seasons. She now ranks fourth on Duke's all-time record charts with her 18 match-clinching victories.
Ellie Coleman has totaled four match-clinching wins this season and now owns 13 match-clinching wins over her four years to rank 12th at Duke.
Hovde Making Impact on Blue Devils
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 doubles contests in the opening weekend.
Hovde registered her first collegiate singles win at Clemson on March 9 and currently owns a 6-5 ledger on the year. She recently collected her first collegiate ranked win with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over 15th-ranked Thea Rabman of North Carolina to help the Blue Devils to a 4-2 win against the fourth-ranked Tar Heels. Hovde was also named the ACC Freshman of the Week on April 8.
Duke has registered a 15-1 ledger with Hovde in the lineup.
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 Women's Tennis Association (WTA) career-high rankings of No. 245 in singles and No. 354 in doubles. Hovde also owns seven ITF titles.
Balus & Coleman Earn All-America Accolades
With the tandem of Irina Balus and Ellie Coleman advancing to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Doubles Championship in Waco, Texas this past November, the Blue Devil duo earned All-America accolades.
Duke's doubles team of Balus and Coleman registered two wins during the championship, starting with a 5-7, 6-4, 1-0 (10-6) victory over 23rd-ranked Elza Tomase and Catherine Aulia of Tennessee. In the round of 16, Balus and Coleman posted a 7-5, 6-3 win against 20th-ranked Lily Fairclough and Grace Piper of Southern California. The Blue Devil run came to an end in the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-1 defeat to Rachel Gailis and Alicia Dudeney of Florida.
Balus and Coleman finished the fall with a 9-2 ledger. Their appearance in the NCAA quarterfinals was the first for Duke since 2018 and they were just the 11th doubles tandem in program history to reach the quarterfinals.
Balus became the seventh Blue Devil freshman to earn NCAA Doubles All-America accolades – Karolina Berankova (2021), Kelly Chen (2018), Tory Zawacki (2004), Kelly McCain (2002), Karin Miller (1997) and Vanessa Webb (1996).
The Head Coach
Head coach Jamie Ashworth is in his 29th season with the Blue Devils and owns an impressive 633-161 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 633 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
- Duke has reached 20 victories this season for the 28th time in Blue Devil history, while head coach Jamie Ashworth has posted 20 or more wins a total of 20 times.
- Eight different Duke student-athletes have posted match-clinching wins on the season with Emma Jackson (5), Ellie Coleman (4), Eleana Yu (4) and Shavit Kimchi (3) leading the way.
- Duke's doubles team of Emma Jackson and Liv Hovde were named the Doubles Team of the Week on April 1, after posting two wins and leading Duke to victories over No. 4 UNC and No. 61 SMU. Hovde was then named ACC Freshman of the Week on April 8. Freshman Irina Balus was tabbed the ACC Freshman of the Week on Feb. 18 and Jan. 28 so far this season.
- A couple of Blue Devils are currently riding singles winning streak heading into the next match – Ava Krug (7) and Ellie Coleman (12).
- Rookie Ava Krug continued her hot start to her collegiate career moving to 11-2 overall and 6-0 in dual match action.She improved to 3-0 in ACC play as well.
- 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 13 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.
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
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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
