Blue Devils Open ACC Action at Pittsburgh

Thursday, February 12

Pittsburgh, PA

2 PM

Duke University

Pitt

Photo by: Nat LeDonne / Duke Athletics

2/11/2026 12:43:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse

The Opening Draw

The 14th-ranked Duke women's lacrosse team begins ACC play at Pittsburgh Thursday, Feb. 12, at 2 p.m. The Blue Devils lead the all-time series versus the Panthers, 4-0, and own a 2-0 record when facing Pitt on the road.
Duke opened the 2026 campaign with a dominant 14-6 triumph over High Point last Friday. In the win, redshirt junior Ava Biancardi recorded five points, while freshman Quinn Whitaker and sophomore Sadie Stafford each tallied hat tricks. Defensively, the Blue Devils turned in a strong performance from sophomore Amanda Paci, who matched two career-high marks with five caused turnovers and three ground balls. Redshirt freshman Hope Schoudel made her Duke debut, posting five saves with a .455 save percentage.
Whitaker, redshirt senior Eva Pronti and Schoudel made their first career starts against High Point, while sophomore Avery Doran, graduate McKenzie Olsen, freshman Cat LeTendre and freshman Caroline Doyle made their Duke debuts.

By The Numbers

14 – Duke's IWLCA ranking

78-79 - Head coach Kerstin Kimel's ACC record

4-0 - Duke's lead in the all-time series versus Pittsburgh

14-10 - The score from the Blue Devils' win last season when they faced the Panthers

14 - Overall wins the Blue Devils posted a season ago, marking the most wins Duke has earned in a season since posting 16 in 2022

6 - Conference wins during the 2025 campaign, the most ACC victories Duke has recorded since 2022

31st - Season at the helm of the Blue Devils for Kimel

365 - Career victories for Kimel, with 361 of those wins coming at Duke

6 - Matchups scheduled against teams that advanced to the 2025 NCAA Championship

8 - Home games for the Blue Devils during the 2026 season

5 - Ava Biancardi's total points last time out, setting a career high

1 - USA Lacrosse Preseason All-America honoree in Eva Pronti

1 - Tewaaraton Award Watch List nod in Bella Goodwin

Duke in the Polls

Duke is ranked in multiple top-25 polls. The Blue Devils earned a No. 14 spot in the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) poll, while also checking in at No. 14 in the USA Lacrosse rankings and No. 13 by Inside Lacrosse.

Duke Versus Pittsburgh

The Blue Devils meet the Panthers for the fifth time in program history, with Duke leading the all-time series, 4-0.
Duke is 2-0 when playing at Pitt.
The Blue Devils posted a 14-10 triumph at Pitt last season.

Series History Versus the Panthers

Pitt opened the season with a 13-10 win over Ohio State.
Paige Telatovich leads the Panthers with four goals, while Avery Moon handed out a team-best three assists and added three goals to pace the team with six points.
Defensively, Lainey McGonagle recorded two caused turnovers. In goal, Molly Cain made eight saves and posted a .444 save percentage.

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