A year ago, the Blue Devils were the heavy favorites to win the ACC. Armed with one of Duke's most successful senior classes in school history, the team reached the NCAA tournament for the third consecutive year.
But Carrie DeMange, Jenny Shull and Ali Hausfeld are gone.
And now the Blue Devils are in unfamiliar territory, nabbed third in the preseason conference rankings.
Not that Duke seems to mind.
After dominating the ACC the last three years, the Blue Devils relish the chance to be underestimated.
"Ever since we've been here, we've always had that target on our back," senior outside hitter Sue Carls said. "We've always been preseason No. 1 since we've been freshmen and Duke is the team that everyone wants to beat and everyone brings their A game for.
"But I think because we're No. 3 this year, people will take us for granted hopefully."
Despite DeMange, Shull and Hausfield dominating nearly every individual Duke record, this year's trio of seniors is hardly one to scoff at.
Middle blocker Jourdan Norman needs only 81 more blocks to earn the Duke record.
Last season, Carls amassed a .314 hitting percentage and 307 kills.
Outside hitter Aana Wherry will primarily anchor the defense, having averaged 1.61 digs per game last season.
Both Norman and junior Rachael Moss were named to the preseason All-ACC team, a first for the senior while Moss earned the honor for the second straight season.
Because of the loss of three starters, freshmen Kayla Kirk, Amanda Robertson, Kellie Catanach and Sophia Dunworth may be needed sooner than later.
With the opening setting position, Catanach will compete with junior Christine Falcone and sophomore Alex Sall for the spot.
"There are a lot of opportunities out there for players that have been here as well as our freshman," head coach Jolene Nagel said. Do we need [the freshmen] to? I don't care who it is.
"There are some holes to be filled, and I think people are really working to gain that opportunity."
Although it would be easy to peg the season as merely a rebuilding year for Duke, the team has the same goal they've had the previous seasons-get past the second round of the NCAA tournament.
"We're always so close to the sweet sixteen every year," Wherry said. We're always so close every year and I think we want to get past that, get over the hump. That's definitely our major goal.
"We have a lot of work to do and we have to come together as a team."
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