No. 23 Duke Continues Homestand Versus California

Saturday, February 28

Durham, N.C.

3 PM

Duke University

California

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Photo by: Nat LeDonne / Duke Athletics

No. 23 Duke Continues Homestand Versus California

2/27/2026 11:30:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse

Game Notes (PDF)Live Stats Watch (ACCNX)

THE OPENING DRAW:

No. 23 Duke resumes ACC play this weekend, continuing its three-game homestand by hosting California Saturday, Feb. 28 at 3 p.m. The game will stream on ACCNX.
The Blue Devils lead the all-time series versus the Golden Bears, 2-0, and are 1-0 when playing in Durham. Duke won last year's matchup convincingly, 13-4.
Duke enters the weekend with a 3-2 record after picking up an 18-10 victory over East Carolina Wednesday. Sophomore Avery Doran, junior Bella Goodwin and freshman Quinn Whitaker each netted three goals apiece, while graduate McKenzie Olsen, redshirt junior Ava Biancardi, sophomore Sadie Stafford and redshirt junior Eva Pronti found the back of the cage twice each.
Duke is featured in the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Poll (No. 23) and Inside Lacrosse (No. 24). The Blue Devils finished the 2025 campaign ranked No. 9 in the IWLCA poll.

BY THE NUMBERS:

1 – Avery Doran and Ellie White's ranking in shooting percentage (.778) and total draw controls (57), respectively
2 – Blue Devils who rank in the top 10 in the national statistics. Avery Doran is fourth in the NCAA in shot percentage (.778) and Ellie White is sixth in draw controls per game (11.40)
4 – Blue Devils with double-digit goals this season: Avery Doran (14), Quinn Whitaker (13), Bella Goodwin (12), Ava Biancardi (10)
5 – Duke players with 10-plus points this season: Avery Doran (23), Eva Pronti (18), Ava Biancardi (17), Bella Goodwin (16), Quinn Whitaker (14)
7 – Career high in saves by netminder Hope Schoudel against East Carolina
12 – Assists dished out by Eva Pronti this season, the lone Blue Devil with double-digit helpers
16 – Draw controls recorded by Ellie White in the win over East Carolina, marking a career best
23 – Duke's IWLCA ranking
24 – The Blue Devils' Inside Lacrosse poll ranking
157 – Career draw controls by Ellie White - tied for 10th all-time on the Duke charts
367 – Career victories for Kimel, with 363 of those wins coming at Duke

INDIVIDUALS IN THE TOP-10 ACC STATISTICS:

Avery Doran (2.80) and Quinn Whitaker (2.60) rank fourth and eighth, respectively, in the ACC in goals per game.
Doran (4.60) and Eva Pronti (3.60) sit fifth and 10th, respectively, in the league in points per game.
Pronti's 2.40 assists per game rank fourth in the conference.
Ellie White leads the ACC with 57 draw controls and averages 11.40 per game.
Amanda Paci ranks eighth in the league with 2.20 ground balls per game and fifth with 2.20 caused turnovers per game.
Hope Schoudel sits 10th in the ACC with 4.20 saves per game.

DUKE IN THE POLLS:

Duke is ranked in multiple top-25 polls. The Blue Devils earned a No. 23 spot in the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) poll, while also checking in at No. 24 by Inside Lacrosse.

DUKE VERSUS CALIFORNIA:

Duke and California are set to meet for the third time Saturday, with the Blue Devils holding a 2-0 advantage in the all-time series.
Duke is 1-0 when facing the Golden Bears in Durham, winning last year's contest by a score of 13-4.

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN BEARS:

California enters the weekend with a 3-2 overall record and a 1-0 mark in ACC play. The Golden Bears own wins over San Diego State (13-12), Florida State (10-9) and Oregon (14-9), while their setbacks have come against USC (16-9) and UC Davis (13-12).
Emily Moes is the team's top goal scorer with 12 markers on the year, while Courtney Wong leads the distribution efforts with 13 assists.
On the defensive end, Clara Page has collected a team-high 17 ground balls, while Katie Bloomer and Kennedy Herndon lead Cal with seven caused turnovers each.
In the cage, Lulu Murphy owns 37 saves and boasts a .385 save percentage.

UP NEXT:
Duke continues ACC action with a midweek game, hosting No. 11 Boston College Wednesday, Mar. 4. Opening draw is set for 5 p.m., at Freeman Field at Koskinen Stadium.

For more information on Duke women's lacrosse, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching "DukeWLAX."

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