Dick Vitale's granddaughter, Ava Krug, accepts tennis scholarship to Duke University

SARASOTA - In two years, Dick Vitale will be 85 years old, but if the Lakewood Ranch resident has his way, he'll still be calling college basketball games for ESPN.

And if he has his way even further, Vitale will have a couple extra assignments in Durham, North Carolina. That's the home of Duke University, and starting in 2024, it'll also be the home of Ava Krug, Vitale's granddaughter, the latest addition to the Duke women's tennis team.

The 17-year-old, whose name has appeared in the pages of the Herald-Tribune for her tennis exploits since she was 11, accepted a scholarship to join a Blue Devil women's team which has won 18 ACC championships, reached 11 Final Fours, and in 2009, captured the NCAA championship. For the 2021-22 season, the team finished with a record of 23-4 and a No. 4 national ranking, according to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA).

Duke's success, coupled with Ava's two brothers, Jake and Connor, playing on the Blue Devil men's tennis team, made it easy for her to turn down scholarship offers from Florida, North Carolina, Texas and Virginia.

"The program that (head coach) Jamie Ashworth has created is one of the best," Krug said. "I can see myself fitting in there perfectly. My two brothers who are there have had an amazing experience. They love absolutely everything about Duke. It helps having somebody already go through the system there. They obviously wanted me to go there."

Currently ranked 78th in the world by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), Krug has been slotted at No. 10 in the national class of 2024 by the Tennis Recruiting Network, which labels her a five-star, blue-chip player. She had no interest in becoming a legacy, which meant not following her mom to Notre Dame. Sherri Vitale Krug attended the school and played on its women's tennis team.

Krug's connection to South Bend runs even deeper. Her dad, Thomas, was a quarterback on the Notre Dame football team, starting the 1996 Orange Bowl against Florida State. An aunt, Terri Vitale, also attended the school and played tennis. Two cousins currently are students there and play tennis and lacrosse.

"I think I would thrive in a lot of different schools," said Krug, the youngest in a family of tennis players, who was introduced to the sport at a young age. "I would have to go to the practices because my parents needed to watch me," she said, "and they had so much fun out there, it made me want to try it. They would be on their breaks during lessons and I would come out and hit. It was fun for me to watch and I was like, 'I want to try it, too' and I fell in love with it."

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Krug started playing in tournaments at age 10, and for the next seven years, did everything possible to improve her game. "I definitely had to work really hard to get to this level," she said. "Everyone has to work super hard to get here. I'm super happy with the progress I've made through these multiple years of playing tennis."

Krug works on her game Monday through Saturday. She'll play from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., then work on fitness from 11 a.m. until noon, followed by more tennis from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Standing 5-foot-11, Krug has the requisite power to win a point from the baseline. "I'm a very aggressive player and I hit it hard," she said.

But, on this day, Krug worked on her net game. Knowing when to approach the net, and once there, being able to hit a winner. "I feel coming to the net is neglected a lot," she said. "For sure, it's definitely a big advantage."

After each of her college visits, Ava spoke with her famous grandfather. "How each visit went and how I love the schools," she said. "When I told him it was Duke, he was super excited." Even with his extensive travel schedule during hoop season, Dick Vitale always has been there for his granddaughter.

"I think he's probably been one of the biggest people in my life," Krug said. "He comes to almost all of my practices. He's so motivational; he's always talking to us. Just about life in general, not only tennis. Just trying to be the best person you can be every day. I think we really take it to heart and try to focus on it on and off the court. Getting 1 % better every day."

That's the plan Ashworth and Krug's personal coach, Mauricio Hadad, want to put in place. The two will work in collaboration to make sure she's prepared for college competition. "(Ashworth) knows I have aspirations to play at the next level (professionally)," she said, "and he wants to develop me and wants me to get better.

"I have two more years of high school." Krug takes online classes through Laurel Springs School. "We have goals we want to reach," she said. "I'm trying to be the best player possible, so when I show up at Duke, I'm ready to help my team out anyway I can."

In two years.

"I want to go now."

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Ava Krug, granddaughter of Dick Vitale, accepts tennis scholarship to Duke University