It has been two weeks, but Duke can finally breathe easy.
Last night the Blue Devils ended their longest losing streak since 2003 as they took three straight sets from Campbell, 25-18, 25-17, 25-18.
Despite their absence on the scoreboard, Campbell (4-8) did not go down without a fight. From the opening serve until senior Sophia Dunworth closed the match with a kill, the Fighting Camels kept themselves in the match. However, their efforts proved fruitless against the discipline shown by No. 23 Duke (5-3).
Setter Kellie Catanach recorded 41 assists on the night, including 25 to Jeme Obieme.
“They really had a lot of energy,” sophomore Ali McCurdy said. “And it’s sometimes tough playing a team like that because it can be exhausting. When they’re super-energetic about every point you have to come and fire back.”
That’s exactly what the Duke did, managing to not only send a total of 50 kills Campbell’s way, but also to hold their ground defensively behind the play of McCurdy. With their minds set on bringing more control and defense to their game, the Blue Devils worked to bring up their digs to a total of 63, up 14 from their loss to San Diego. And as indicated by the number of kills, the team also had its sights set on broadening its offense.
“I thought our serve-receive also gave us a chance to be successful,” head coach Jolene Nagel said. “I really am pleased with the team effort that was out there.... And our setter was able to mix up the offense and get quite a few people opportunities.”
The motivation behind last night’s win, according to both Nagel and her players, was the lessons learned from the team’s previous losses. After last Thursday’s loss ended a 15-match home win streak, the Blue Devils sought to improve on ball control, defense and offensive diversity. Last night’s win against Campbell highlighted those areas of marked improvement and allowed Duke to end its last game before ACC play on a positive note.
The outlook the Blue Devils carried into the match was the secret to their success in implementing these changes. Instead of worrying about past losses, the team recognized their usefulness as learning experiences.
“Coming into tonight, we were hoping to just see some of that improvement in some of those areas that we were working on,” Nagel said. “And I definitely did see a more disciplined focus.... We went out and competed and executed.”
With the upcoming ACC opener against Wake Forest, that execution couldn’t have come at a better time. And though the team acknowledges that every match is important, this win has gained importance in their eyes due to the timing.
“Now is when the real test [begins],” McCurdy said. “Pre-season stuff is over and now the fun truly starts.”
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