Playing in Cameron Indoor Stadium for potentially the last time, Duke's four seniors reminded the home crowd of the legacy they will leave behind. Thanks to the seniors' spark, the No. 22 Blue Devils (22-6, 17-3 in the ACC) swept N.C. State 3-0 Saturday, 30-21, 30-19, 30-21.
Seniors Carrie DeMange and Ali Hausfeld once again directed the Duke offense, overwhelming the Wolfpack (3-27, 0-20) with a dominating performance. DeMange recorded 17 kills and 14 digs for her third consecutive double-double and moved within 20 kills of the Blue Devils' all-time record. Hausfeld set 50 assists in the three games, her highest total of the season.
On the defensive end, senior Jenny Shull had a team-high 16 digs while remaining perfect throughout the match with 18 errorless service receptions. Fellow senior Shelley Capito also contributed with 18 errorless serves.
"The seniors have made a huge impact ever since their arrival, not only on the court, but in their work ethic and in their commitment and aspirations," head coach Jolene Nagel said. "They've really been a huge lift for Duke volleyball, and we hope we can continue with the standards they set."
Friday night, the Blue Devils also swept North Carolina 3-0 (30-23, 30-20, 30-24). Middle blocker Jourdan Norman paced Duke on both sides of the court with 10 kills and six blocks. Duke overpowered the Tar Heels at the net, outblocking its rival 11-6.
"We were excited to beat North Carolina in three games after playing in a lot of four- and five-game matches," Wherry said. "We just knew that they're a good team and even if they're down 2-0 they'll come back even stronger. We've been having trouble with putting teams away in the past, and it almost haunted us, but we never let up with our intensity."
The Blue Devils have just two matches remaining on their schedule, both in a road trip this week. Duke heads to Virginia Wednesday to take on the Cavaliers followed by a match Friday against Virginia Tech.
"We have a really short time to recover and prepare for the matches this week," Nagel said. "We just need to focus on doing what we can do to control our destiny going into the tournament."
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