Amassing a three-game winning streak and sharing the top spot in the ACC with No. 14 Florida State and North Carolina, Duke returns home after two difficult road matches to host conference opponents Maryland and Boston College this weekend in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
The Blue Devils (11-2, 3-0 in the ACC) first play the Terrapins (11-4, 2-1) tonight at 7 p.m. and must look for ways to counter the best serving team in the conference, one that holds a league-high 87 aces in only 54 games and five players with at least 11 aces.
“I think we just need to focus on playing our own game,” junior middle blocker Sophia Dunworth said. “We just need to stay focused on our side of the court and on controlling what we can.”
A day after the standoff against Maryland, Duke faces Boston College (8-8, 0-3), a team that has dropped three straight conference matches, including 3-0 sweeps to Duke’s fellow conference foes, the Tar Heels and N.C. State. However, the Blue Devils can’t let down their guard against the Eagles’ service game, since it ranks second only to Maryland in the conference with 81 aces.
“This week we’ve been working a lot on our own personal defense,” senior Claire Smalzer said. “Practice has been really tough this week, because one of our policies on our team is to not take [any opponent] lightly, regardless of their record. We treat every team like it’s going to be a great opponent.”
The Blue Devils carry strong momentum after winning two tough five-game road matches last weekend, and they have another positive going for them: Their return to Cawmeron will be their first time back since the team’s season opener Sept. 17 against Wake Forest.
“I’m hoping our team feels good about what it accomplished last weekend but that they are ready to compete this weekend,” head coach Jolene Nagel said. “In the ACC, there are no easy matches, and you’ve got to come to compete if you want to win. We have the opportunity to be at home, and you’ve got to get them when you’re at home.”
Collecting wins at home will be critical to the Blue Devils’ long-term goals—which include a possible ACC championship—but for now, they insist on focusing solely on the next opponent.
“Coming into preseason, we set our team goals, and like every other team in the ACC, you want to finish first, but we don’t dwell on rankings. It is what it is, and you take it one game at a time,” Smalzer said.
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