e
In a dominant performance, the volleyball team (16-2, 8-2 in the ACC) easily disposed of both Clemson (6-11, 2-7) and Georgia Tech (12-5, 7-3) this weekend, keeping sole possession of second place in the conference. In both matches, the Blue Devils opened up a 2-0 lead in games, only to surrender the third game before winning the fourth.
Georgia Tech, currently third in the conference, needed a win Saturday night against Duke to tie for second place in the ACC. The beginning of game one displayed the Blue Devils' solid hitting, namely by Ashley Harris and Jill Sonne. Duke claimed an early 5-0 lead and never looked back in its 30-25 win. Harris knew her fellow teammates were positive going into the match against the Yellow Jackets.
"I think we had a lot more confidence knowing we were on top [in the conference]," Harris said. "We were really aggressive to start in the first game, we were up early."
The Yellow Jackets came out with more determination in game two, tying the game at 11-11 after winning a long rally. Sonne's serving was key in the second game--the Blue Devils scored four straight points on her serve. After Sonne, who had nine kills and 16 digs, blocked Georgia Tech's hit attempt, Duke found itself leading 28-21 and cruised to a 30-24 victory.
"I think we really focused on our passing and got the balls to the target," Sonne said about the match. "We focused on our side of the court."
The start of game three was similar to the second game, except the Yellow Jackets hung around for the entire game this time. Lynnette Moster, who had a match-high 20 kills for Georgia Tech, aced the Blue Devils for an early 8-8 tie. Duke's middle-hitter, Krista Dill, who had 14 kills, and Sonne combined for consecutive kills to retake the lead 14-13. Then came the Yellow Jackets' flurry of defensive plays, which helped win several long rallies and forced a Blue Devil timeout with Duke losing 22-24. After the short break, Harris, Duke's leader in kills with 19, pounded the ball to the floor for three important kills. The score was tied at 30-30 before the Blue Devils made two mistakes that cost them the game. Duke's coach, Jolene Nagel, regrouped her team before the fourth game began with some specific comments.
"We just talked about getting back to the basics and moving our feet to get in position for the block and moving our feet for every single play," Nagel said.
Duke came out hungry in game four, grabbing a 15-12 lead on one of Dorrette Burwell's kills. Then the two teams traded points before the Blue Devils gained a slight advantage at 23-20 after Sonne stuffed another hit attempt. Duke used a timeout when Georgia Tech rallied to score two straight points and tie the game at 28-28. Two quick plays later, Duke finished off its opponent's 30-28 and won the match 3-1.
"I think we realized we needed to come out tough and go after every ball and treat every point as if it's our last," Harris said.
The first opponent of the weekend homestand for the Blue Devils was the Clemson Tigers. In its previous contest, Duke won easily 3-0. The start to Friday's match resembled another Blue Devil domination, after they led 2-0 on two 30-20 wins. Harris once again led her team in kills with 18, but she alone could not overcome the mistakes Duke made in game three, which cost them a 27-30 loss. After a sluggish start in game four, Burwell, who had 11 kills, jump-started her team with several key plays that led to a 30-24 win and 3-1 win in the match.
"I feel like we played really well in the first two games," Nagel said. "But in game three, our passing started to break down and we weren't as aggressive on defense. We did some good things, but we also showed some things we need to improve on."
The Blue Devils continued a five-game winning streak with their win against the Yellow Jackets, and now look ahead to Friday night's match at UNC. The team knows it can beat the Tar Heels, which is necessary for a chance at the regular-season ACC championship.
"I think it's going to be a completely different match," Harris said. "We didn't play well the first time we played them."
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Sign up for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.