Blue Devils Advance to Semifinals of Match Play at ACC Championship

WILMINGTON, N.C. – Duke ladies’s golf graduate pupil Andie Smith drained a 15-foot birdie on her second additional gap Saturday to ship the fourth-seeded Blue Devils into the semifinals of match play with a 3-1 victory in opposition to fifth-seeded NC State at Porters Neck Country Club in Wilmington. 
 
The Blue Devils obtained victories from freshman Rianne Malixi, Anna Cañado Espinal and Smith, whereas Katie Li was tied on the ultimate gap when the match was clinched. 
 
Duke faces top-seeded Stanford within the semifinals starting at 1:30 p.m., with the motion lined reside on ACC Network Extra. 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Duke’s contest in opposition to the Wolfpack began on gap No. 10 at 7:30 a.m.
• In the primary match of the day, Duke freshman Avery McCrery went up in opposition to Vania Simont of NC State.  Simont opened with a birdie on No. 11 to take a 1UP lead, however McCrery bounced again with back-to-back birdies on No. 12 and No. 13 to take a 1UP benefit.  On No. 14, Simont added one other birdie with McCrery notching her third birdie of the day on No. 15 to regain a 1UP lead.  Simont birdied No. 17 and McCrery birdied No. 18 to present McCrery a 1UP lead heading to the entrance 9.  The Blue Devils held a 1UP lead with six holes remaining, however Simont gained holes 4-7 to shut the match with a 3&2 win. 
• Anna Cañado Espinal by no means trailed in her match with Lindsay McGrath and put Duke’s first level on the board with a 4&3 consequence.  Cañado Espinal missed the golf green and made an impressive up-and-down for par on No. 10.  She then birdied No. 12 and No. 15 to take a 2UP lead.  Cañado Espinal shot even-par by the primary six holes of the following 9 and closed the match with a par on No. 6. 
• NC State’s Ellie Hildreth led by as many as 3UP by 4 holes with a pair of birdies on No. 11 and No. 12 in opposition to Rianne Malixi.  Malixi began making a comeback by successful holes No. 14, No. 15 and No. 3 to tie the rating with six holes remaining.  She registered a brief birdie on No. 6 to take her first lead of the match, 1UP, and parred No. 7 to go 2UP.  Malixi hit a clutch greenside bunker shot to inches on the par-5 eighth gap to safe a 2&1 victory. 
• Andie Smith opened with nice shot out of the golf green bunker and completed with a par in opposition to Marie Madsen.  Smith then drained a 10-footer for birdie on No. 2 to take a 1UP lead.  Madsen birdied No. 15 to tie the match and stayed that means till Smith parred No. 4 to take a 1UP lead.  Smith parred No. 6 to go 2UP with three holes to play, however she 3-putted No. 7 and Madsen birdied No. 9 to ship it to extras.  After two pars on No. 10, Smith drained a 15-foot downhill putt for birdie to win, 1UP. 
• Katie Li by no means led in her match with Betsy Sullivan, however was in placing distance all the match.  Li parred No. 8 to even the match and was within the fairway on No. 9 when Duke clinched the victory. 

 

THAT’S THE CLINCHER ??

Andie shuts the door within the second playoff gap over NC State to advance to the ACC Championship Match Play Semifinals!! ?? pic.twitter.com/W6IAukD2aP

— Duke Women’s Golf (@DukeWGOLF) April 18, 2026

NOTES

 

• Andie Smith improved to 10-4-1 in match play and 2-0 within the ACC Championship as a Blue Devil.
• Rianne Malixi moved to 4-0 this season in match play.
• Duke superior to the semifinals of match play for the fourth time in six seasons. 

 
WHAT IS NEXT

• Duke will face top-seeded Stanford at 1:30 p.m., within the semifinals of match play.  The motion can be aired reside on ACC Network Extra. 

 
To keep updated with Blue Devils ladies’s golf, comply with the workforce on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by looking “DukeWGOLF”.
 
#GoDuke
 
No. 4 Seed Duke def. No. 5 Seed NC State, 3-1
Vania Simont (NCSU) def. Avery McCrery (DU) 3&2
Andie Smith (DU) def. Marie Madsen (NCSU) 1UP
Rianne Malixi (DU) def. Ellie Hildreth (NCSU) 2&1
Anna Cañado Espinal (DU) def. Lindsay McGrath (NCSU) 4&3
Katie Li (DU) vs. Betsy Sullivan (NCSU) Tied