Florida State is the last ACC team with a perfect in-conference record, and Duke has a chance to spoil that when the Blue Devils and Seminoles face off in Cameron Indoor Stadium Sunday at 1 p.m. Florida State swept the Blue Devils (17-8, 11-5 in the ACC) in three sets in Tallahassee over a month ago, but Seminole head coach Chris Poole thinks Sunday’s match will be more competitive, despite the fact Florida State is currently the team to beat in the ACC with an impressive record of 15-0.
“It is a huge target on our backs and we understand that,” Poole said. “It is tough to go through a complete conference season undefeated. Anything can still happen at this point in the season. This is not a time to get overconfident. It is a time to take a business attitude and get the job done.”
Poole does not take his team’s record for granted.
“We have been very fortunate so far this season to not always play as well as we want but still find a way to win,” he said.
He was not shy about praising Duke’s success so far this season behind a talented, veteran lineup.
“They certainly have a great defense and a lot of experienced players,” Poole said. “They are a well-disciplined team all around. You’ve just got to hope that your hitters are on and that we are able to keep them out of their offense as much as possible.”
The hitter Poole will count on most will be Jekaterina Stepanova, who leads her team in kills with 273. The Seminoles (21-4, 15-0) also currently rank second in the conference in terms of hitting percentage, behind only Miami. Duke head coach Jolene Nagel will counter with Sophia Dunworth and her 271 kills against a stout Florida State defense, which leads the ACC in blocks by a relatively large margin.
But despite conference-leading numbers in several categories, Poole has been sure to keep his team focused and humble.
“I think teams that are out in the lead at this point of the season sometimes start taking that lead for granted,” Poole said, “and that is a dangerous place to be because when you go on the road, it is very easy for other things to be distractions. [This] will to be a battle, no doubt.”
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