May 14, 2003

Katie Granson was a freshman in the Duke tennis lineup on April 5, 2000, the day the Blue Devils saw a 116-match string of ACC victories come to a halt with a loss to Wake Forest. She also was on the court last April when the Blue Devils fell to North Carolina in the ACC championship match, ending the program's streak of 14 straight conference crowns.

So after being a part of the program's only two league losses in 15 years, Granson, perhaps more than anyone else on the current Duke team, has really appreciated what the Blue Devils have done during her senior season in recapturing the ACC title, winning the National Team Indoors and twice earning a No. 1 ranking.

"I didn't realize we'd never been No. 1, so it was nice to do that after the trouble we had in my earlier years," Granson said on the eve of this year's NCAA tourney. "We broke the ACC streak and all that stuff, so I felt like we took a step back for the program.

"But now I know that we elevated our team to a new, higher level that has never been reached before, so I feel good about that."

A 5-foot-9 native of Bethlehem, Pa., Granson was frequently found in the No. 6 spot of Duke's singles lineup throughout her first three years, despite shoulder surgeries before her freshman year and right after her sophomore campaign. She put together a fine 54-23 mark in singles and an even better 61-19 record in doubles during that time.

This year, Granson has been an even bigger factor for the third-ranked Blue Devils. Her shoulder has held up, allowing her to play in every match. Rotating through the fourth, fifth and sixth slots in the lineup, she won all four of her singles and doubles matches to help Duke claim the National Team Indoors in February, and she went undefeated in singles and doubles during the ACC season.

Heading into the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tourney, Granson's singles record this spring is 21-2, while her doubles mark with freshman Julia Smith is 25-3.

"Coming into this year, I just decided that I wasn't going to care about my shoulder. It was my last year and I would blow it out if I had to and play as much as I could," Granson said.

"In the past I had to take so many breaks because of my shoulder that I didn't have all the confidence I needed. Now that I've been able to train for a solid year and not feel bad about my shoulder and hit my serve as hard as I want to, it was the added boost I needed.

"It's been the best way to go out, to end on a high note, especially since I'm not continuing my tennis career. I got my confidence back and know that I can do it, so I feel great about it."

Granson had an impact off the courts as co-president of Duke's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for the last two years. Her interest initially was sparked by former teammate Kathy Sell's tenure on the committee. Now Granson hopes others will follow in her footsteps to continue one of her pet projects, the department's Winter Fun Day for local middle school students. It was her dedication to that project that helped make her one of Duke's recipients of an ACC Top Six for Service award, which goes to student-athletes dedicated to community service.

Granson earned her degree in Public Policy and plans to teach tennis this summer before trying to land a job in Washington, D.C. Before that, however, is the matter of one final service ace in the NCAA Tournament.

"I think we can go all the way," she said. "Doing well in the ACC Tournament and National Indoors gives us the confidence to know we can come out on top when all the good teams are there. I think our team looks good. Everyone's healthy and excited, and the confidence to know that we can do it is a huge factor. This is one of the best years I've ever been a part of."