Completed Event: Women's Lacrosse at #4 Florida on May 15, 2025 , Loss , 9, to, 11
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Final
Women's Lacrosse
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at #4 Florida
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Photo by: Nat LeDonne / Duke Athletics
Celebrating 30 Years of Duke Women’s Lacrosse
10/2/2025 3:53:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse
DURHAM, N.C. – This 2025 season, Duke women’s lacrosse proudly celebrates its 30th anniversary as a varsity program. With an overall winning program record of 360-198, the Blue Devils have proven themselves as a highly talented, competitive and driven team since the very beginning. This year’s anniversary marks a time of reflection and recognition for our Blue Devils’ success over the past 30 years.
From the start, Duke has consistently stood out in a very competitive conference, finishing in the top-three in ACC rankings a total of 16 times, which includes four regular season championship titles. Of Duke’s 28 conference tournament appearances, the Blue Devils' 2005 run marked their first championship, defeating the reigning conference and national champion Virginia, 9-6.
The Blue Devils’ success doesn’t just stop at the conference level -- Duke has shown up and shown out in the postseason, making a name for themselves in the NCAA Tournament. Duke made its NCAA debut a mere two seasons in (1998) from the inaugural season – and came right back to face Virginia in the NCAA semifinals the 1999 season. Over the team’s existence, the Blue Devils have made 23 NCAA Tournament appearances, advancing to 17 quarterfinals and seven semifinals. Duke’s 29 NCAA Tournament wins is a nod to the impression the Blue Devils have left at the national level.
Any NCAA experience becomes a significant memory for a student-athlete. Recent graduate Ellie Lazzaretto reflected on one of her favorite memories from this past 2025 campaign.
My favorite and most special memory was from this 2025 season in the NCAA tourney when we got sent to Charlottesville to play JMU and then Virginia. I’ll never forget beating UVA that Sunday, the dance party that followed and Kerstin’s speech about remembering that moment for the rest of our lives. It was 1000 percent better than any graduation could’ve been!Ellie Lazzaretto
This year’s anniversary is not only special to our Blue Devils, but to head coach Kerstin Kimel as well as the leader of the Duke women’s lacrosse since its inception in 1996. A 1993 graduate from Maryland and former member of the U.S. Elite Team, Kimel used her experiences as a standout collegiate and international player to build Duke into an elite program. Kimel’s coaching success has earned her ACC Coach of the Year five times, including back-to-back-to-back years from 2004-2006. She also received the 2005 Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Regional Coach of the Year, 2015 IWLCA Diane Geppi-Aikens Memorial Award and 2016 IWLCA Service Award accolades, as well as the 2008 WomensLax.com Coach of the Year Award. Kimel secured her 350th win at Duke this past season when she led the Blue Devils to victory over Xavier, 16-9. With her current 364 career wins, Kimel ranks sixth among active Division I coaches in career victories.
With Kimel at the helm, Duke women’s lacrosse has produced 45 All-Americans with 118 total honors and 97 with All-ACC accolades. Some have even followed in Kimel’s footsteps, with 10 players playing at a national or international level.
Yet beyond the Blue Devils’ performance on the field, Duke women’s lacrosse sports an even stronger team culture that thrives within its vast network of current players and alumni.
Being a part of Duke women’s lacrosse remains one of the most defining experiences of my life and one I carry with me every day. The program gave me more than teammates; it gave me another family and a place that always felt like home.Olivia Jenner
Jenner’s experience was made even more exceptional when her sister, Maddie Jenner ‘22, joined the Blue Devil family for the 2019 season.
“Most special of all, it gave me the rare chance to share a season on the field with my sister and then so many more years proudly cheering her on,” Olivia Jenner said.
Karen Sutton ‘99 emphasized how Duke lacrosse serves as both a source of personal growth and of support Blue Devils can lean on for life.
“Beyond trophies, Duke Lacrosse instills values like integrity and perseverance, shaping players who excel in sports and life,” Sutton said. “The friendships formed create a lifelong network of support.”
Lazzaretto credits Kimel for the strength and character that’s instilled in the program’s culture.
“This program is full of the highest-quality, hardest-working and most fun girls in the world,” the ‘25 graduate said. “Kerstin has built one of the most special programs in the country, one that girls past, present and future take the utmost pride in being a part of.”
This past 2025 season was yet another one of note. The Blue Devils completed their run with a 14-6 overall record and went 6-3 in conference play. Duke’s performance on the field and a NCAA quarterfinal appearance helped the Blue Devils finish with a season-high ranking of No. 9 nationally. Callie Hem and Carly Bernstein finished with multiple All-America honors, six Blue Devils nabbed All-ACC selections and five Blue Devils earned IWLCA South All-Region accolades. To top it all off, Duke brought its A-game to the classroom: 22 Blue Devils clinched All-ACC Academic honors, 15 made IWLCA Academic Honor Roll and Bernstein garnered College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honors.
Duke lacrosse is a breeding ground for champions, emphasizing friendship, leadership and excellence on and off the field.Karen Sutton
With alumni returning to Koskinen Stadium for the Oct. 4 alumni game, the Blue Devils can reflect on the success they’ve had over the past 30 years together and can continue to build on their legacy of excellence.
For more information on Duke women's lacrosse, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching "DukeWLAX".
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