Levine Selected As ACC Player of the Week

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Two match-clinching points against top-30 opponents propelled Duke junior Josh Levine to receive ACC Player of the Week accolades. It is the initial league weekly honor of Levine's career and the second straight for the Blue Devils, as freshman Nicolas Alvarez was last week's recipient. It is the first time Duke has won consecutive ACC Player of the Week honors since Henrique Cunha received five straight from Jan. 24 – Feb. 21, 2012.

Levine won both of his singles matches to help Duke to a 2-0 week, with both victories coming on the road against top-30 teams. He tallied the deciding point for the Blue Devils with his two comeback three-set wins at No. 6. Duke downed No. 8 Illinois 4-3 on Friday before coming back to defeat No. 30 Northwestern 5-2 on Sunday.

In Champaign on Friday, Levine came all the way back for a 0-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4 victory against Ross Guignon. Levine trailed 5-1 in the second set before forcing a 5-5 tie and winning in the tiebreaker. The victory snapped Illinois' 17-match home winning streak and marked the fifth consecutive year Duke has defeated a top-10 opponent on the road or at a neutral site.

In doubles, Levine also teamed with senior Jason Tahir to secure the doubles point for Duke, recording a 6-3 victory versus Aron Hiltzik and Jared Hiltzik.

Sunday at No. 30 Northwestern, Levine worked his three-set magic again to clinch the victory, downing Alp Horoz 2-6, 6-3, 6-2. Horoz cruised in the first set and held a 2-1 lead in the second set before Levine stormed back with 11 victories in the next 14 games to win the match and clinch the contest for Duke. The win was the ninth straight in singles for Levine.

Levine has played a key role in Duke's 6-0 start, going 5-0 in dual match play and posting a 3-1 mark with Tahir in doubles.

The Blue Devils are 6-0 for just the third time in the last 15 seasons, joining the 2011 and 2012 squads. All of Duke's matches this season have been against ranked opponents, the most to begin a season since seven straight in 2008. Overall, Duke's last 16 matches have been against ranked foes with the Blue Devils going 14-2.

As a result of last weekend's two wins, Duke moved up to No. 6 in this week's ITA rankings. It is the highest the Blue Devils have been ranked since standing No. 4 for the week of March 4, 2013.

Duke returns to action this weekend with three matches. Friday, the Blue Devils host No. 20 Tennessee at 6 p.m. ET. Sunday, Duke faces No. 47 Michigan at noon and N.C. Central and 5 p.m.

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