The Blue Devils are finally coming home.
After notching just two victories in a seven-game closing stretch that included six road games-a schedule that head coach Robbie Church called "vicious"-Duke was granted a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament Monday night.
The top-16 seeding ensures that the team will play its first two matches in Koskinen Stadium, starting Friday night against Radford.
"We're very excited to be home and to get what we feel is a just reward," Church said. "We've been battling through and it's been tough. Tonight, seeing that we're going to be home, seeing that we've been rewarded is going to give us great energy and a great boost."
The Blue Devils finished with an 8-1-1 record in Koskinen, with the lone loss coming to No. 1 seed North Carolina.
They will need to replicate that success in the tournament as they take on a loaded field.
The path to the national semifinals includes perennial national powerhouse UCLA, ACC rival Virginia, defending champion USC and South Carolina, a team that took Duke to penalty kicks in the first round of the 2007 tournament.
"It's all tough," Church said. "Every team is going to be strong. We've all watched a number of NCAA tournaments in every sport to know there are no gimme games. You've got to come play, you've got be hungry, and you've got to be aggressive."
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