The Blue Devils only need one win in their last three games to clinch the ACC championship and the automatic NCAA Tournament berth that comes with it, but that doesn’t mean they’re losing sight of their larger goals.
The team’s first chance to get the championship-clinching win will come tonight against Virginia Tech, which pulled off an upset against Duke Oct. 14. The next opportunity presents itself Saturday against Virginia (13-14, 7-10 in the ACC) in the team’s final home game of the season.
The Blue Devils (22-5, 14-3) see these games as an opportunity to not only close out their conference championship but also improve their résumé for the NCAA Tournament selection committee.
“We want to try to control our own destiny,” head coach Jolene Nagel said. “It’s not only for an ACC championship that we’d like to do that, but... also going into the NCAA Tournament to help ourselves get the best seed possible.”
One benefit of getting a high seed might be a home game in the Tournament, which would be a huge boon to a Duke team that’s been particularly successful in the friendly confines of Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils have racked up a spectacular 11-1 home record—their only loss coming more than two months ago at the hands of then-No. 12 Minnesota.
According to Nagel, it’s unclear whether Duke—which sits at No. 12 in the RPI standings—has a chance at securing home matchups in early-round play. But she thinks that the athletic department’s willingness to host games might give them a chance to do so—provided they win out.
Although the Cavaliers will almost definitely miss out on postseason play, the Hokies (18-9, 9-8) are No. 35 in the RPI. Duke knows that a win over Virginia Tech would impress the Tournament’s selection committee, but the Hokies will be hungry for a win to keep their own postseason hopes alive.
“[Last time] they played a great match and took us out of our game,” Nagel said. “We know we’ve got a lot that we have to try to do in order to be successful against them.”
The next night against Virginia, the team will celebrate the seniors’ contributions in pre- and post-game ceremonies, as that might be their last chance to play in Cameron. But the seniors—and the rest of the team—want to keep the season going, especially if it means another chance to play in front of the home crowd.
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