After exciting back-to-back wins against Georgia Tech and Clemson this past weekend, Duke heads down to the Sunshine State to take on No. 22 Florida State (9-4, 3-0 in the ACC) and No. 20 Miami (11-1, 2-1).
Head coach Jolene Nagel was excited about this past weekend’s wins but is aware of the challenges that lie ahead in Florida State and Miami.
“Both FSU and Miami are really good teams,” Nagel said. “It is difficult to play these ACC opponents on the road because they get good crowds. It’s not an easy environment.”
Duke (8-4, 2-1) takes on the Seminoles first Friday at 7 p.m. in Tallahassee. The last time the two teams met the match was heated, with Florida State eking out a five-set win. The Seminoles lead the conference in both hitting percentage and blocks. Senior Jekaterina Stepanova leads the Seminoles with 145 kills, followed closely by Visnja Djurdjevic, who has 135.
“We know that Duke is an exceptional team,” Florida State head coach Chris Poole said. “They are very bright kids and very well-coached, so we know that they are always going to be a very tough battle.”
The Seminoles have developed into a top team in the conference over the last few years, including winning the ACC in 2009.
“[We are looking to] build a program that will rival Duke’s,” Poole said. “We want to be thought of in the same sentence as Duke.” Florida State has a record of 3-0 on their home court this season, and is coming off a big weekend, having taken down both Virginia and Virginia Tech in straight sets on the road.
The Blue Devils will then travel south to Miami Sunday to take on the Hurricanes at 1:30 p.m. Miami has accumulated an impressive record against a tough early-season schedule, its only loss coming to the Seminoles. The Hurricanes are also coming off a successful weekend at Virginia and Virginia Tech, sweeping both teams in straight sets.
Miami leads the ACC in digs behind the play of Ryan Shaffer, who ranks fourth in the conference with 4.6 per set.
Head coach Nicole Welch is excited for her team to be back on their home court to take on Duke.
“We’ve been on the road for our last three matches, so we are very excited to be home hosting Wake [Forest] and Duke this weekend,” Welch said. “We know we have two quality opponents coming into town and every match is a battle in the ACC, so we are definitely looking forward to it.”
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