Blue Devils Bounce Back in a Big Way, Sweep Illinois at ITA Indoors
After a tough outing the night before, the seventh-ranked Duke women’s tennis team didn’t waste any time getting back on track. The Blue Devils came out sharp and stayed locked in, blanking Illinois 4-0 on Saturday in the consolation round of the ITA National Team Indoor Championships at the Atkins Tennis Center in Urbana.
With the win, Duke improved to 6-1 on the season, while Illinois dropped to 2-4. From doubles to singles, the Blue Devils controlled the tempo, played with poise, and showed exactly why they’re one of the top teams in the country.
Doubles Set the Tone
Momentum started to swing Duke’s way early in doubles, and it started on court two. Claire An and Eleana Yu, ranked No. 29 nationally, came out firing and never looked back in a 6-2 win over McKenna Schaefbauer and Kimiko Cooper. That duo shook off a loss from the previous day and looked like a team with something to prove, improving to 6-3 on the season.
The drama unfolded on court one, where Duke’s 19th-ranked pair of Liv Hovde and Shavit Kimchi found themselves in a 3-0 hole. But they didn’t panic.
Instead, they rattled off four straight games to take a 4-3 lead and eventually forced a tiebreak after Illinois’ 59th-ranked tandem of Tess Bucher and Alice Xu pushed back. In the breaker, Duke took control early and never let go, winning 7-3 to seal the doubles point.
That’s now back-to-back wins over ranked opponents for Hovde and Kimchi, who are now 9-3 on the year.
Meanwhile, Irina Balus and Aspen Schuman were locked in a tight 5-5 battle on court three when the doubles point was clinched, but their energy carried over into singles play.
Singles Domination
Duke didn’t just win the opening sets in singles - they swept all six of them. That kind of across-the-board dominance speaks volumes about the team’s depth and focus.
On court four, Eleana Yu was locked in from the first ball. She didn’t trail once against Alice Xu, cruising to a 6-3, 6-0 win to put Duke up 2-0. The victory marked Yu’s second dual match win of the season and her fifth singles win overall, pushing her career record to 37-17.
Next up was Aspen Schuman, who continues to impress in her freshman campaign. After falling behind 4-2 in the first set against Ariel Madatali, Schuman flipped the switch - taking four straight games to win the set 6-4.
She dropped the opening game of the second set, but then reeled off six straight to close it out, 6-1. Schuman is now a perfect 4-0 on the season and 2-0 at the ITA Indoors.
The clincher came on court two, where sophomore Liv Hovde faced off against Kimiko Cooper. Hovde jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the first set, but Cooper wouldn’t go quietly, battling back to force a tiebreak.
That’s where Hovde locked in, winning seven of the next nine points to take the set 7-6. She kept her foot on the gas in the second, never trailing en route to a 6-3 finish.
The win bumps her season record to 9-8 and marks her fourth victory in her last five matches - a sign that she’s finding her rhythm at just the right time.
Matches in Progress
When the match was clinched at 4-0, Duke was still in control on the remaining courts. Kimchi was up 6-3, 4-4 on court five, and An held a 6-4, 3-2 lead on court six. On court one, Balus was locked in a tight battle with Illinois’ 67th-ranked Schaefbauer, splitting sets 6-4, 4-6 before the match was halted.
Coach’s Take
“It was a good win for us after a tough match last night,” said head coach Jamie Ashworth. “It is important in this event to be on top of your game emotionally and I thought we did that. We need to do the same against a tough Texas team tomorrow.”
What’s Next
Duke will face 18th-ranked Texas in the next round of the consolation bracket on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. It’s another big test, but if Saturday’s performance is any indication, the Blue Devils are more than ready for it.
Match Summary: Duke 4, Illinois 0
February 7, 2026 - Atkins Tennis Center (Urbana, IL)
Doubles
- #29 Claire An / Eleana Yu (DU) def.
McKenna Schaefbauer / Kimiko Cooper (ILL), 6-2
- #19 Liv Hovde / Shavit Kimchi (DU) def.
#59 Tess Bucher / Alice Xu (ILL), 7-6 (7-3)
- Irina Balus / Aspen Schuman (DU) vs.
Ariel Madatali / Cara Mester (ILL), 5-5 (unfinished)
Singles
- #120 Liv Hovde (DU) def.
Kimiko Cooper (ILL), 7-6 (7-3), 6-3
- Aspen Schuman (DU) def.
Ariel Madatali (ILL), 6-4, 6-1
- Eleana Yu (DU) def.
Alice Xu (ILL), 6-3, 6-0
- #28 Irina Balus (DU) vs.
#67 McKenna Schaefbauer (ILL), 6-4, 4-6 (unfinished)
- Shavit Kimchi (DU) vs.
Tess Bucher (ILL), 6-3, 4-4 (unfinished)
- Claire An (DU) vs.
Elizabeth Isyanova (ILL), 6-4, 3-2 (unfinished)
Order of Finish: Doubles (2,1*), Singles (4,3,2*)
Duke now holds a 9-1 all-time record against Illinois - and they’re not done yet.