After a rough start in conference play, Duke is looking to continue its climb back toward the top of the ACC.
The Blue Devils (10-6, 4-3 in the ACC) will take on Boston College (6-12, 2-5) Friday at 4:30 p.m. and Maryland (9-10, 3-4) Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Historically, Duke has fared well against the Eagles, having beat them in their last 11 matchups. The Blue Devils know the dangers of overconfidence, though, since the Terrapins beat them last season for the first time in four years.
“Boston College has changed a lot in the past year,” junior Nailah Waterfield said. “They are not the same team that we have played in the past.... We want to make sure that we are as ready for them as they are for us.”
Head coach Jolene Nagel explained that the team has had a lot of late nights on the road over a very busy past two weeks, including trips to Virginia and Florida, which left them less practice time than they are used to.
“We have been working specifically on blocking and conditioning,” Nagel said. “We are going to need to be well-conditioned for this week’s schedule.”
Improved blocking will be especially important against Maryland, considering the Terrapins hit at a .338 clip in their win over Duke last season, the highest hitting percentage the Blue Devils allowed all last year.
“There is definitely a little fire there to get that win back from them,” Waterfield said.
Both Boston College and Maryland will be arriving to Durham having combined to lose five of their last six games. The Blue Devils, on the other hand, are looking to continue their recent success, including wins against both Virginia and Virginia Tech. Despite the struggles of its upcoming opponents, though, Duke cannot afford to lose any more ground in the conference standings, where it currently sits three games behind ACC leader Florida State and two games short of the rival Tar Heels.
“[Getting two wins] would definitely be good for our confidence going into the North Carolina match that is coming up [Oct. 19],” Waterfield said.
For a Blue Devil squad looking to recapture its top spot in the conference, this weekend’s games provide an excellent opportunity to regain ground on the ACC frontrunners.
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