Upcoming Event: Women's Tennis versus ITA All-American Championship on September 20, 2025
Women's Tennis
vs ITA All-American Championship
Saturday, January 17
Ann Arbor, Mich.
All Day
Duke University
at
Day One
Women's Tennis Completes Day One Of Michigan Invitational
1/17/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
DURHAM, N.C.?The Duke University women's tennis team opened the three-day Michigan Invitational with a 5-2 overall record in singles and doubles play. The Blue Devils finished 3-2 in singles and won both doubles matches on the first day of competition.
Duke started the action against No. 24 Tennessee in singles and matched up against Vanderbilt in doubles later in the afternoon.
“I was happy with how we competed today,” head coach Jamie Ashworth said. “We had some really close first matches and first sets and I think we played some good mental tennis when it got close, so I was happy with that. Being in a competitive situation for some of them for the first time since early November there are definitely things we need to get better at and hopefully we'll do a better job tomorrow.”
Sophomore Ellah Nze battled through a tough first set to defeat the Volunteers' Jennifer Meredith, 7-6 (10-6), 6-4, at No. 2 singles. Ranked 43rd nationally, Nze is now 8-3 overall and has won in each of her four past outings. Also winning for the Blue Devils were senior Melissa Mang and junior Amanda Granson in the No. 3 and No. 4 spots, respectively. Mang upset No. 77 Samantha Orlin in a thrilling two sets, 7-6 (10-5), 7-5.
Granson also posted her first win of 2009, defeating Zsofia Zubor, 7-6 (10-5), 6-3. Ranked 48th in the nation, Granson is now 10-4 on the season.
Sophomore Reka Zsilinszka and senior Jessie Robinson both suffered losses against Tennessee. Zsilinszka fell to No. 92 Caitlin Whoriskey in a tough three-set match, 5-7, 6-2, 5-7. Robinson dropped her match to Natalie Pluskota, 6-0, 6-2.
In doubles action later in the afternoon, Duke captured a pair of quality wins over Vanderbilt. The duo of Granson and Mang picked up where they left off last season with a 9-7 victory over Heather Steinbauer and Jackie Wu. Nze and Robinson added another one to the win column, dropping Hannah Blatt and Keilly Uler 8-5.
The Blue Devils will start the second day in doubles against Tennessee at 1 p.m., and take on Michigan in singles following the conclusion of the doubles matches.
Saturday, January 17
Singles -- Duke vs. Tennessee
1. #92 Caitlin Whoriskey (Tennessee) d. #56 Reka Zsilinszka (Duke), 7-5, 2-6, 7-5
2. #43 Ellah Nze (Duke) d. Jennifer Meredith (Tennessee), 7-6(6), 6-4
3. Melissa Mang (Duke) d. #77 Samantha Orlin (Tennessee), 7-6(5), 7-5
4. #48 Amanda Granson (Duke) d. Zsofia Zubor (Tennessee), 7-5, 6-3
5. Natalie Pluskota (Tennessee) d. Jessi Robinson (Duke) , 6-0, 6-2
Doubles -- Duke vs. Vanderbilt
1. #20 Amanda Granson/Melissa Mang (Duke) d. Heather Steinbauer/Jackie Wu (Vanderbilt), 9-7
2. Ellah Nze/Jessi Robinson (Duke) d. Hannah Blatt/Keilly Ulery (Vanderbilt), 8-5
-d-u-k-e-
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Tennis
PLAYER
/ Women's Tennis
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/ Women's Tennis
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/ Women's Tennis
PLAYER
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