Blue Devils open ACC schedule

After falling to No. 1 Penn State in straight sets last weekend, Duke hopes to regain momentum as it heads into ACC play this weekend against in-state rival Wake Forest in the Black and Gold Challenge in Winston-Salem, N.C. The Blue Devils face the Demon Deacons (0-9, 0-0 in the ACC) Friday at 7 p.m., and then have two matches Saturday: the first against Liberty at 10 a.m. followed by Appalachian State later at 4:30 p.m. Despite having its six-game winning streak snapped by Penn State, Duke (8-2, 0-0) has the second most wins in the ACC this season. The Blue Devils have have been balanced offensively and defensively, ranking second in the conference with a .278 hitting percentage while holding their opponents to a .139 pace. Outside hitters Rachael Moss and Sophia Dunworth, along with middle blocker Becci Burling, have been Duke’s top offensive options thus far, each averaging more than 2.5 kills per set. Defensively, Burling, Amanda Robertson and Christiana Gray have been crucial to holding opponents to that low hitting percentage. Duke will not overlook Wake Forest despite its winless record, as the Demon Deacons shocked the Blue Devils with a 3-2 victory in Winston-Salem last year, although Duke bounced back with a 3-1 win in Durham later in the season.  Wake Forest is led by Megan Carnell’s .302 hitting percentage and Andrea Beck’s 72 kills. Liberty (4-5) has lost three of its last four games after falling to Louisville last weekend. Appalachian State (3-7), meanwhile, has lost four of its last five games, including a straight-set loss to Charlotte in its most recent match.