Hovde and Kimchi Named ACC Doubles Team of the Week After Breakout Weekend
Duke’s women’s tennis team just picked up a big-time nod, and it’s well deserved. Liv Hovde and Shavit Kimchi have been named the ACC Doubles Team of the Week after a standout showing at the ITA National Team Indoors in Urbana, Illinois.
The Blue Devil duo went 2-1 on the weekend, but it wasn’t just about the wins-it was about who they beat. Hovde and Kimchi notched their first two ranked victories of the season, showing real poise in pressure moments.
First, they took down Ohio State’s 13th-ranked pair of Hephzibah Oluwadare and Teah Chavez in a tense 7-6 (7-2) tiebreaker. Then they followed that up with another gritty tiebreak win over the 59th-ranked tandem of Tess Bucher and Alice Xu, 7-6 (7-3).
These weren’t just routine victories. Both matches came down to the wire, and Hovde and Kimchi showed the kind of mental toughness and chemistry you want to see in a top doubles team. They didn’t blink when things got tight-they elevated.
Now sitting at 9-4 on the season, the pairing is starting to find its rhythm. This isn’t the first time they’ve made noise, either. Back in the fall, they pushed through to the round of 16 at the NCAA Doubles Championship, giving us an early glimpse of what they’re capable of when they’re locked in.
Next up, the Blue Devils return home to Durham, where they’ll host Boston College on Friday, February 20 at 3 p.m. If Hovde and Kimchi keep playing at this level, they won’t just be a tough out-they’ll be a team nobody wants to see on the other side of the net.