Duke Takes ITA Kick-Off Weekend Title

Sunday, January 31

Durham, N.C.

2:00 p.m.

Duke University

VCU

Duke Takes ITA Kick-Off Weekend Title

1/31/2010 6:00:00 PM | Women's Tennis

By: Duke Sports Information

DURHAM, N.C.- Facing the toughest competition it has seen this season, the Duke women's tennis team persevered to outlast 44th-ranked Virginia Commonwealth, 6-1, today at the Sheffield Tennis Center. With the win, the top-ranked Blue Devils advance to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's Team Indoor Championship on Feb. 12-15 in Madison, Wis.

Duke continued to shine in doubles play, as the tandem of senior Elizabeth Plotkin and junior Reka Zsilinszka dispatched their opponent at the No. 2 spot, 8-2, in about 45 minutes. Sophomore Monica Gorny and freshman Jessica Stiles followed on court three, clinching the doubles point for Duke with an 8-3 victory.

After going back and forth at No. 1 doubles, the duo of senior Amanda Granson and junior Ellah Nze battled VCU's Josefin Hjertquist and Ana Bara to an 8-6 win.

"I actually thought today was the best doubles we played all year," said head coach Jamie Ashworth. "I thought that some of the stuff we've been working on - our moves at the net - has gotten better, and it shows ... [Our team] can see the progression that we've made."

In singles action, Plotkin led the Blue Devils off the court with a 6-2, 6-3 dismissal of VCU's Hjertquist at the No. 3 spot. Gorny, ranked 63rd nationally, followed with a 6-2, 6-2 win on court five to put Duke ahead, 3-0.

VCU earned its first team point when freshman Mary Clayton fell to Olena Leonchuk at the No. 6 position, 6-3, 6-2. It was just Clayton's first loss of her collegiate career.

At No. 4 singles, 91st-ranked Nze won the first set, 6-2 with little trouble. She and VCU's Alex Bara battled to a 6-6 score before Nze won the tiebreaker, 7-3, to defeat Bara and clinch the victory for the Blue Devils.

Duke demonstrated its perseverance at the No. 1 and No. 2 spots, with both matches lasting over two hours. Playing on court two, Granson dropped the first set to VCU's Ana Bara, 6-3.

"I was going after all the right shots, but I wasn't closing out the points," Granson said of her performance in the first set. "When I sat down in between sets, I just restarted. I forgot about the first set and just decided to keep moving my feet, go after my serve and just play the ball. And it worked. I had a good mindset going into it."

After starting the second set 0-2, Granson battled to a 6-3 win to force a third set. In the deciding set, she came from behind again, winning the match by a score of 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

After earning a 6-1,6-1 win at the No. 1 position Saturday, Zsilinszka faced more adversity in Sunday's match. She jumped out to a quick lead over VCU's Kateryna Yergina, but the two fell into a back-and-forth battle. Zsilinszka took the first set, 7-5, but fell behind in the second, 0-3. After trading volleys and the lead with Yergina several times, Zsilinszka emerged the winner in the second set as well, 6-4, sealing the 6-1 team victory for Duke.

"Right now I think our singles is at the point where ... for someone to come out and have to beat us in four singles is going to be a tough thing to do," Ashworth said. "[But] it's not going to get any easier. The matches we've played have progressively gotten tougher, and it'll keep getting tougher."

The Blue Devils will host Indiana University Saturday, Feb. 6, before traveling to Madison, Wis. for the ITA Team Indoor Championship on Feb. 12-15.

-d-u-k-e-

#1 Duke 6, #44 VCU 1
Jan 31, 2010 at Durham, NC (Sheffield Tennis Center)

Singles competition

1. #20 Reka Zsilinszka (DU) def. Kateryna Yergina (VCU) 7-5, 6-4

2. #80 Amanda Granson (DU) def. Ana Bara (VCU) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4

3. Elizabeth Plotkin (DU) def. Josefin Hjertquist (VCU) 6-2, 6-3

4. #91 Ellah Nze (DU) def. Alex Bara (VCU) 6-2, 7-6 (7-3)

5. #63 Monica Gorny (DU) def. Laura Burns (VCU) 6-2, 6-2

6. Olena Leonchuk (VCU) def. Mary Clayton (DU) 6-3, 6-2

Doubles competition

1. Amanda Granson/Ellah Nze (DU) def. Josefin Hjertquist/Ana Bara (VCU) 8-6