As the first-place team in the ACC, the Blue Devils have to get used to seeing every opponent play at its best.
No. 15 Duke came home from its weekend road trip with two more victories, knocking off Maryland in straight sets and defeating Pittsburgh 3-1. The Blue Devils faced challenges in both matchups—which were tight from start to finish—but were able to extend their winning streak to eight games.
“We're thrilled to be coming home with two wins against two teams that are very challenging," head coach Jolene Nagel said. "Those two wins on the road... are crucial for us in this ACC battle."
After Maryland (12-13, 4-9 in the ACC) scored the first three points of the match, sophomore outside hitter Breanna Atkinson started what would be a career-high performance with her first of 16 kills to put Duke (22-3, 13-1) on the board. After giving the Terrapins a 6-1 lead, the Blue Devils fought back to win the set 27-25.
“It was definitely point for point in that first set, and we were definitely having to work very hard,” Nagel said. “[We made mistakes] which didn’t allow us to able to gather some points in groups and gain any momentum.”
After the extended first set, Duke’s front line battled for key blocks and limited Maryland to only eight kills. A five-point run allowed the Blue Devils to claim the second set 25-19.
The third frame mirrored the close scoring of the first, with neither team leading by more than two points until an attack error by Maryland senior outside hitter Mary Cushman sent the Blue Devils up 12-9, forcing the Terrapins to call a timeout. Maryland was able to cut its deficit to two points at 21-19, but Duke came away victorious with a 25-20 third set win to finish the sweep.
“We missed some things we should have taken advantage of in set one, but I was really excited and proud that they hung in there to be able to get that win and to go after them at the end of the match,” Nagel said. “It’s always difficult to play in Maryland, for whatever reason… but we really did put together a nice match [Friday], which is exciting.”
The Blue Devils traveled to Fitzgerald Field House to face Pittsburgh (13-14, 5-9) for the teams’ first meeting since the Panthers joined the ACC. Atkinson continued her stellar weekend, finishing second on the team in both kills and digs. Senior defensive specialist Ali McCurdy led the team in digs with a season-high 29 for the day.
After a narrow 25-22 victory in the first set, Duke fell down early in the next round of play and failed to come back, dropping the second set 25-20. In the third set, senior middle blocker Chelsea Cook’s three blocks and seven kills helped the Blue Devils fight back from an eight-point deficit to win 25-23.
“We were down in set three 14-7 and came back — to be able to get that set, that was huge,” Nagel said. "[Cook and McCurdy] made some big plays at times that we needed... They just kind of hold everything together out there on the court."
The fourth set was another nail-biter, with neither team extending a lead beyond four points. With play tight at 23-20, Cook added her 15th and final kill to the stat sheet. Two plays later, Atkinson capped off the weekend with a well-placed spike. The ball landed just beyond the Panthers’ reach to finish the set 25-21.
“It was such a battle. Pittsburgh's a good team—they're really scrappy, and they played very well today,” Nagel said. "We really had to work very, very hard to secure that win."
Duke has now won 18 of its last 19 games and has six contests remaining in the regular season. But with contests against ranked opponents Florida State and North Carolina, the Blue Devils will be sure not to start thinking about postseason play just yet.
“We just take it one match at a time, one point at a time, one set at a time,” Nagel said. “I want our team to be able to get some rest, catch their breath, and just wake up with a smile tomorrow, because they certainly did a tremendous job this weekend."
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