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The Terrapin women's tennis team went into its ACC opener against No. 9 Duke playing some of its best tennis of the season and came out seeing some of the best tennis in the nation being played.

The Terps had momentum on their side entering yesterday's match after two solid performances the previous weekend and a week of high-intensity practice, but that all came to a screeching halt when they fell to the rival Blue Devils, 7-0.

Coach Martin Novak tried all week to get his team to play David to Duke's Goliath, but after the match, he could only offer one reason for the lopsided outcome.

"They were better today; the better team won," Novak said. "We went in with a little awe effect."

Still, there were many missed opportunities for the Terps to pick up points that could have altered the final score. Novak cited shot selection and execution as the two main areas that doomed the Terps.

"We played some tight doubles matches but came out just short of getting that point," sophomore Maggie MacKeever said. "We also had some chances in the singles matches but again came up short. We are a young team, and Duke seemed to have more experience to pull out those tight matches."

In order to come out on top against a team of Duke's stature, a team has to take advantage of those chances, something Novak said his team is still learning to do.

In the singles portion of the match, Novak was pleased with the play of junior co-captain Michal Amir at the No. 1 position, MacKeever at No. 4 singles and sophomore Eleanor Peters at the No. 5 position. The coach likes how his team has developed.

"We came close in three singles matches," Novak said. "The effort was there, and I can tell we're not that far off from where we want to be. We've improved quite a bit the last two weeks."

There's little doubt that playing a tough squad such as Duke this early in the ACC schedule can only help a young Terp team that's still struggling to find its identity and groove this season.

"Obviously, it hurts to lose," Novak said, "but it helps us find out who we are, and it's going to help for our future ACC matches. It gives us a horizon to shoot for."

sports@dbk.umd.edu

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