Coming out on top has never been sweeter for ACC champion Duke, which was given the No. 12 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament as well as awards for the ACC’s top player and coach.
The Blue Devils’ NCAA Tournament fate was decided Sunday, with the team drawing High Point in the opening round, and the winner of the Ohio-Penn game for the second round. Both games will be held in Cameron Indoor Stadium as part of the University Park, Pa., regional.
Before Duke found out its tournament route, the team racked up two major conference awards.
Blue Devil setter Kellie Catanach earned the title of ACC Player of the Year following her performance this season that led the Duke offense to be ranked 19th in the country in kills per set, 22nd in assists per set and 37th in hitting percentage. Catanach led the conference and ranked 19th nationally with 11.40 assists per set, ending the season with 20 consecutive matches in which she had 30 or more assists.
The 6-foot-2 junior setter not only impressed on offense, however, aiding a Duke defense that held opponents to a conference-low .170 hitting percentage.
But Catanach was not the only Blue Devil to earn honors at the end-of-the-year awards ceremony Wednesday, as head coach Jolene Nagel was named ACC Coach of the Year, and four other Duke players were named to the All-ACC team.
Senior middle blocker Becci Burling, junior right-side hitter Amanda Robertson, sophomore middle blocker Christiana Gray and freshman libero Ali McCurdy joined Catanach as members of the All-ACC tea
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.