Upcoming Event: Women's Tennis versus Iowa on January 19, 2026 at 9:30 a.m.
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9:30 a.m.
Women's Tennis
vs Iowa
Monday, January 19
Durham, N.C.
9:30 a.m.
Duke University
vs
Iowa
Photo by: Duke Athletics
Eighth-ranked Women’s Tennis to Open 2026 Dual Match Monday
1/18/2026 10:30:00 AM | Women's Tennis
DURHAM, N.C. – The preseason eighth-ranked Duke women's tennis team opens the 2026 dual match slate Monday, Jan. 19 as the Blue Devils host a pair of matches against Iowa and NCCU. The Blue Devils face Iowa at 9:30 a.m., followed by a 5 p.m., contest against NCCU.
Both matches will be contested inside the Sheffield Indoor Tennis Center. Admission is free and parking will be available in the blue zone lot adjacent to the Sheffield Indoor Tennis Center.
The Series with Iowa
Duke and Iowa will meet for the third time in program history and the first since 2000. The Blue Devils lead the series, 2-0. The last meeting came on March 12, 2000 with Duke collecting a 7-2 victory in Durham. The only other meeting took place May 20, 1999 as Duke totaled a 5-0 win in the NCAA Tournament.
Scouting Iowa
Iowa is coming off a 2025 season where the Hawkeyes registered a 13-11 overall and 7-6 Big Ten ledger under head coach Sasha Boros. Iowa is led by senior Daianne Hayashida, a 2026 Big Ten Player to Watch selection. She was ranked as high as No. 89 in the ITA singles rankings a season ago totaling a 20-9 overall record. Iowa opens the season Saturday, Jan. 17 at Furman, before heading to Durham for Monday's match.
Duke Versus the Big Ten
The Blue Devils own an all-time 138-31 record against Big Ten opponents – Illinois (8-1), Indiana (20-9), Iowa (2-0), Maryland (40-2), Michigan (12-3), Nebraska (2-0), Northwestern (22-5), Ohio State (8-3), Oregon (1-0), Purdue (3-0), UCLA (5-7), Southern California (3-0), Washington (4-0) and Wisconsin (8-1).
The Series with NCCU
Duke and NCCU will face off for the fourth time in program history with the Blue Devils leading the series, 3-0. Blue Devil head coach Jamie Ashworth owns a 3-0 ledger against the Eagles over his career. Last year, Duke registered a 4-0 victory over the Eagles in Durham.
Scouting NCCU
North Carolina Central opens the 2026 season against NC State Sunday, Jan. 18 and then faces Iowa on Monday, Jan. 19 at 1 p.m., in Durham. Sofia Rachi leads the Eagles into the 2026 campaign coming off a 13-9 season from a year ago.
Duke Versus the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Duke currently has a 3-0 record against the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference with the lone contests coming against NCCU (3-0). The two teams last met in January of 2025, with the Blue Devils sweeping the Eagles 4-0.
What is Next
Duke will host the ITA Kickoff Weekend Jan. 24-25 in Durham with Miami, South Carolina and Florida Atlantic coming to town. The Blue Devils will face the Hurricanes Saturday, Jan. 24 at 10 a.m., followed by South Carolina versus FAU at 1:30 p.m. The two winning teams will meet Sunday, Jan. 25 at 1:30 p.m., while the losing teams face at 10 a.m.
ITA Rankings
Duke has been preseason ranked No. 8 nationally in the ITA rankings as a team.
Head coach Jamie Ashworth has guided Duke to 21 top-10 preseason rankings in his 30 seasons as the head coach of the Blue Devils. Duke has been in the preseason top-16 nationally in each of the last 30 years under Ashworth.
In singles play, Irinia Balus (#22), Eleana Yu (#87), Shavit Kimchi (#93) and Liv Hovde (#98) were ranked. Duke featured three doubles teams as well with Kimchi/Hovde (#14), Hovde/Balus (#22) and Yu/Claire An (#32).
Blue Devils Add Aspen Schuman for Dual Match Action
In November, Duke head coach Jamie Ashworth announced the signing of Aspen Schuman. A native of Menlo Park, California, Schuman joined the Blue Devils in January and will compete this spring.
Schuman has an Intercollegiate Tennis Federation (ITF) career high ranking of No. 31 and a Women's Tennis Association (WTA) career-best ranking of No. 931. In the Tennis Recruiting Network rankings, Schuman is listed No. 4 nationally and she has been listed as high as No. 1 in the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Girls' 18s national rankings. A six-time Junior Grand Slam main draw competitor, Schuman has won five ITF junior singles titles and is a two-time ITF W15 Tournament finalist.
Home Court Advantage
Since the 2000-01 season, Duke has collected a 273-27 record at home. Inside Sheffield Indoor Tennis Center, the Blue Devils have totaled a 43-10 ledger since opening its doors in 2000-01. Over the last 10 years, Duke owns a 66-3 record inside Sheffield.
Balus Earns All-America Accolades Once Again
For the second year in a row, Duke sophomore Irina Balus has earned All-America honors as she advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Singles Championship in the fall.
Balus became just the fourth Blue Devil to earn All-America accolades in each of their first two seasons in Durham – Amanda Johnson (2001, 2002), Kelly McCain (2002, 2023) and Vanessa Webb (1996, 1997).
Balus won five out of her final seven matches to conclude the fall and owns a career singles mark of 22-16.
The Head Coach
Head coach Jamie Ashworth is in his 30th season with the Blue Devils and owns an impressive 636-162 ledger. In 2024, 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 matches 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 10th with a 79.9 winning percentage, sixth with 636 wins, third for winningest active coaches by percentage (79.9) and second for winningest active coaches by victories (636).
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 in the fall of 2024.
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.
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.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils women's tennis, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWTEN".
#GoDuke
Both matches will be contested inside the Sheffield Indoor Tennis Center. Admission is free and parking will be available in the blue zone lot adjacent to the Sheffield Indoor Tennis Center.
The Series with Iowa
Duke and Iowa will meet for the third time in program history and the first since 2000. The Blue Devils lead the series, 2-0. The last meeting came on March 12, 2000 with Duke collecting a 7-2 victory in Durham. The only other meeting took place May 20, 1999 as Duke totaled a 5-0 win in the NCAA Tournament.
Scouting Iowa
Iowa is coming off a 2025 season where the Hawkeyes registered a 13-11 overall and 7-6 Big Ten ledger under head coach Sasha Boros. Iowa is led by senior Daianne Hayashida, a 2026 Big Ten Player to Watch selection. She was ranked as high as No. 89 in the ITA singles rankings a season ago totaling a 20-9 overall record. Iowa opens the season Saturday, Jan. 17 at Furman, before heading to Durham for Monday's match.
Duke Versus the Big Ten
The Blue Devils own an all-time 138-31 record against Big Ten opponents – Illinois (8-1), Indiana (20-9), Iowa (2-0), Maryland (40-2), Michigan (12-3), Nebraska (2-0), Northwestern (22-5), Ohio State (8-3), Oregon (1-0), Purdue (3-0), UCLA (5-7), Southern California (3-0), Washington (4-0) and Wisconsin (8-1).
The Series with NCCU
Duke and NCCU will face off for the fourth time in program history with the Blue Devils leading the series, 3-0. Blue Devil head coach Jamie Ashworth owns a 3-0 ledger against the Eagles over his career. Last year, Duke registered a 4-0 victory over the Eagles in Durham.
Scouting NCCU
North Carolina Central opens the 2026 season against NC State Sunday, Jan. 18 and then faces Iowa on Monday, Jan. 19 at 1 p.m., in Durham. Sofia Rachi leads the Eagles into the 2026 campaign coming off a 13-9 season from a year ago.
Duke Versus the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Duke currently has a 3-0 record against the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference with the lone contests coming against NCCU (3-0). The two teams last met in January of 2025, with the Blue Devils sweeping the Eagles 4-0.
What is Next
Duke will host the ITA Kickoff Weekend Jan. 24-25 in Durham with Miami, South Carolina and Florida Atlantic coming to town. The Blue Devils will face the Hurricanes Saturday, Jan. 24 at 10 a.m., followed by South Carolina versus FAU at 1:30 p.m. The two winning teams will meet Sunday, Jan. 25 at 1:30 p.m., while the losing teams face at 10 a.m.
ITA Rankings
Duke has been preseason ranked No. 8 nationally in the ITA rankings as a team.
Head coach Jamie Ashworth has guided Duke to 21 top-10 preseason rankings in his 30 seasons as the head coach of the Blue Devils. Duke has been in the preseason top-16 nationally in each of the last 30 years under Ashworth.
In singles play, Irinia Balus (#22), Eleana Yu (#87), Shavit Kimchi (#93) and Liv Hovde (#98) were ranked. Duke featured three doubles teams as well with Kimchi/Hovde (#14), Hovde/Balus (#22) and Yu/Claire An (#32).
Blue Devils Add Aspen Schuman for Dual Match Action
In November, Duke head coach Jamie Ashworth announced the signing of Aspen Schuman. A native of Menlo Park, California, Schuman joined the Blue Devils in January and will compete this spring.
Schuman has an Intercollegiate Tennis Federation (ITF) career high ranking of No. 31 and a Women's Tennis Association (WTA) career-best ranking of No. 931. In the Tennis Recruiting Network rankings, Schuman is listed No. 4 nationally and she has been listed as high as No. 1 in the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Girls' 18s national rankings. A six-time Junior Grand Slam main draw competitor, Schuman has won five ITF junior singles titles and is a two-time ITF W15 Tournament finalist.
Home Court Advantage
Since the 2000-01 season, Duke has collected a 273-27 record at home. Inside Sheffield Indoor Tennis Center, the Blue Devils have totaled a 43-10 ledger since opening its doors in 2000-01. Over the last 10 years, Duke owns a 66-3 record inside Sheffield.
Balus Earns All-America Accolades Once Again
For the second year in a row, Duke sophomore Irina Balus has earned All-America honors as she advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Singles Championship in the fall.
Balus became just the fourth Blue Devil to earn All-America accolades in each of their first two seasons in Durham – Amanda Johnson (2001, 2002), Kelly McCain (2002, 2023) and Vanessa Webb (1996, 1997).
Balus won five out of her final seven matches to conclude the fall and owns a career singles mark of 22-16.
The Head Coach
Head coach Jamie Ashworth is in his 30th season with the Blue Devils and owns an impressive 636-162 ledger. In 2024, 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 matches 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 10th with a 79.9 winning percentage, sixth with 636 wins, third for winningest active coaches by percentage (79.9) and second for winningest active coaches by victories (636).
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 in the fall of 2024.
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.
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.
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
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