The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Duke
No. 24 Women's Tennis upsets No. 9 Duke, 4-2 at NCAA Championships
05.14.2016 | Women's Tennis
Longhorns advance to the NCAA Championships round of 16 for the first time since 2012.
DURHAM, N.C. – No. 24 Texas (16-8) rallied from a 2-0 deficit and ran off four consecutive singles wins to close out a 4-2 win over host No. 9 Duke (19-7) on Saturday in the second round of the NCAA Championships. Under first-year head coach Howard Joffe, Texas reaches the NCAA Championships round of 16 for the first time since 2012.
The match opened with a tightly-contested doubles session that went in favor of the Blue Devils. Texas' 16th-ranked tandem of Breaunna Addison and Dani Wagland defeated Duke's 74th-ranked duo of Kaitlyn McCarthy and Samantha Harris (6-2) at first doubles. However, Duke won at second doubles and closed out a tiebreak win at the third position to win the doubles point and take a 1-0 lead.
Duke pushed its lead to 2-0 behind Jessica Ho's 6-1, 6-4 win over UT freshman Daniella Roldan at fifth singles. Texas commenced its rally and didn't let up until it had finished off a stunning 4-2 victory over the Blue Devils.
Wagland notched her biggest win over a ranked opponent to date, as the Australian upset Duke's 55th-ranked McCarthy by a 6-3, 6-2 count at third singles to cut the Duke lead to 2-1. Texas freshman Katie Poluta held off Duke's Ellyse Hamlin by a 6-1, 6-4 count at fourth singles to even the tally at two.
UT senior Lana Groenvynck fought off Duke's Christina Makarova in a first-set tiebreaker (7-2) to jump out to an early lead at sixth singles. The Belgian left nothing to chance in the second set. Groenvynck took all six games played to preserve a 7-6 (2), 6-0 win and give Texas a 3-2 lead and an opportunity to close out a win upon junior Neda Koprcina's result.
Koprcina took the first set off of Duke's 118th-ranked Samantha Harris, 7-5 at second singles. Harris appeared poised to take the second set after picking up early service breaks, but Koprcina, who hasn't dropped a match since March 5, had other ideas.
Koprcina forced a second-set tiebreaker and shut out Harris the rest of the way. The Croatian claimed the tiebreaker 7-0 to deliver the match-clinching point and a 4-2 team win for the Longhorns. Koprcina improved to 25-8 overall in singles this season with an incredible 21-1 mark in dual matches.
Texas will take on either eighth-seeded Pepperdine or USC on Thursday (May 19) in the third round (round of 16) at the NCAA Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
POST-MATCH COMMENTS
Texas head coach Howard Joffe
It's hard to put into perspective what our ladies achieved this season and today. Just eight months ago we had a fractured, dysfunctional group of five individuals. Today's victory over a perennial powerhouse in Duke - with an all-star lineup - is emblematic of the extent to which these individuals have become a real team, improved their skills, undergone enormous personal growth and become confident competitors and people.
With respect to the match today we had several opportunities to win the doubles point. Unfortunately we got pipped at the proverbial post and at that point the odds of victory were rather long. The heroes today were Lana Groenvynck , Dani Wagland and Katie Poluta who got us to three points. Then Neda (Koprcina) showed why she is the toughest competitor I have seen with a late surge in the second set to push us over the finish line. Coach (Courtney) Dolehide once again proved what a great knack she has for coaching. Her work in the matches under great stress with Neda, Lana and Katie was genius.
NCAA Championships Second Round (Round of 32)
No. 24 Texas 4, No. 9 Duke 2
Doubles – Order of Finish:
1 No. 16 Breaunna Addison/Dani Wagland (UT) def. def. No. 74 Kaitlin McCarthy/Harris (Duke), 6-2
2 Chalena Scholl/Alyssa Smith (Duke) def. Neda Koprcina/Chelsea Crovetti (UT), 6-3
3 Jessica Ho/Ellyse Hamlin (Duke) def. Katie Poluta/Daniella Roldan (UT), 7-6 (4)
Singles – Order of Finish 5, 3, 4, 6, 2
1 No. 10 Breaunna Addison (UT) vs. No. 65 Chalena Scholl (Duke), 5-7, 6-4, 1-1, suspended
2 No. 122 Neda Koprcina (UT) def. No. 118 Samantha Harris (Duke), 7-5, 7-6 (0)
3 Dani Wagland (UT) def. No. 55 Kaitlyn McCarthy (Duke), 6-3, 6-2
4 Katie Poluta (UT) def. Ellyse Hamlin (Duke), 6-1, 6-4
5 Jessica Ho (Duke) def. Daniella Roldan (UT), 6-1, 6-4
6 Lana Groenvynck (UT) def. Christina Makarova (Duke), 7-6 (2), 6-0
Players Mentioned
