North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State
Duke
No. 5 NC State Drops to No. 4 Duke in ACC Championship Match Play
4/18/2026 1:05:00 PM | Women's Golf
WILMINGTON, N.C. – The NC State women's golf team fell short in its first appearance in match play, falling to Duke, 3-1. The match came down to the wire with a playoff between Marie Eline Madsen and Andie Smith.
Vania Simont won her match 3&2 over Avery McCrery to improve to 6-1-1 in match play across her career. She was down by one heading into the front nine, but logged three of her six birdies on holes 1, 4 and 5, clinching the match on the 7th.
Lindsay McGrath's match finished shortly after, as Anna Canado Espinal won 4&3. Ellie Hildreth began her match 3UP thru three, but Rianne Malixi made a push to win 2&1.
Madsen was down by two with three holes to play, but after Smith bogeyed seven, the deficit was cut to one. On hole nine, Madsen delivered a birdie to tie the match and extend it to a playoff. Both players made pars on hole 10 to force a 20th hole. Smith then made a birdie to clinch the point and match for Duke.
Elizabeth Sullivan was 1UP thru 16, but Duke's Katie Li tied the match after 17. The match was unfinished after Madsen's match finished first.
Final Results
Vania Simont (NCSU) def. Avery McCrery (DUKE), 3&2
Andie Smith (DUKE) def. Marie Madsen (NCSU), 20 holes
Rianne Malixi (DUKE) def. Ellie Hildreth (NCSU), 2&1
Anna Canado Espinal (DUKE) def. Lindsay McGrath (NCSU), 4&3
Katie Li (DUKE) vs. Besty Sullivan (NCSU), unfinished
Order of Finish: 1, 4, 3, 2
Upcoming
The NCAA Regional Championship is set for Monday, May 11 to Wednesday, May 13. The regional locations are Ann Arbor, Michigan (U-M Golf Course), Chapel Hill, North Carolina (UNC Finley Golf Course), Huntsville, Alabama (Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Hampton Cove), Stanford, California (Stanford Golf Course), Tallahassee, Florida (Seminole Legacy Golf Club) and Waco, Texas (Ridgewood Country Club).
Players Mentioned
