Duke volleyball travels to BC and Maryland

After playing seven of their last nine matches at Cameron Indoor Stadium, the Blue Devils will travel up the East Coast this weekend to take on conference foes Boston College and Maryland.

Duke (13-12, 4-9 ACC) faces the Eagles Friday night and then heads to College Park Sunday to meet the Terrapins.

The Blue Devils hold a 13-1 advantage all-time against Boston College (10-15, 4-9 ACC), but fell to the Eagles in three sets earlier this season. Freshman outside hitter Katty Workman leads both the Eagles and the ACC, averaging 4.11 kills per set. In the win over Duke on Oct. 6., Workman posted 21 kills and only 5 errors, and sophomore setter Kellie Barnum dished out 36 assists.

The Blue Devils are 40-25 all-time against Maryland (12-13, 3-10 ACC) after sweeping the Terrapins on Oct. 5. Sophomore outside hitter Ashleigh Crutcher paces the Maryland offense with 3.84 kills per set, the second-highest total in the ACC behind Boston College’s Workman.

When Duke dropped Maryland in three sets in their ACC home opener earlier this year, sophomore outside hitter Jeme Obeime buoyed the Blue Devils with 12 kills and just one error. Freshman outside hitter Emily Sklar also added nine kills and only recorded two errors.

Obeime leads Duke with 247 kills on the season. Despite a lingering ankle injury that has bothered her for much of ACC play, Sklar stands just six kills shy of Obeime on the year. The talented freshman recorded a career-high 20 kills in a comeback victory last Saturday against N.C. State.

The Blue Devils recorded a season-high 17 blocks against the Wolfpack, including 11 from senior middle blocker Christiana Gray. The combination of Gray and junior middle blocker Chelsea Cook around the net has stifled Duke’s opponents as of late. Cook averages 1.14 blocks per set—the sixth highest total in the ACC.

The Blue Devils will finish off their ACC home matches next week, facing off against Florida State Thursday and Miami Saturday.