What a difference a year makes.
After last year’s disappointing 15-17 finish, No. 13 Duke (20-3, 11-1 in the ACC) has bounced back by getting off to the program’s best start since 2006. That year’s Blue Devil team finished the season by winning 22 of its last 23 contests before losing to San Diego in the second round of the NCAA tournament. This year’s squad will look to mirror the strong stretch run of 2006, and recapture something the Blue Devils haven’t held since 2010—the ACC title.
“Last season was definitely a low for everyone,” senior captain Chelsea Cook said. “We ended the season and we all had a sour taste in our mouth afterward. Our goal this year was to be what Duke volleyball is and play Duke volleyball. I think we’ve done a really good job of putting in the work and the effort and everyone developing their game to get back to that point.”
For Cook, “Duke volleyball” means being the hardest-working team in practice and during games.
“We don’t want another team to play us and say, ‘We outworked them,’” Cook said. “I think we’re all a little hungrier and we all want it a little more.”
This year’s roster is nearly identical to last year’s squad. The Blue Devils lost one just one starter to graduation in middle blocker Christiana Gray, and a strong incoming freshman class has made up for her absence. Defensive specialist Sasha Karelov and middle blocker Jordan Tucker have seen significant playing time during their first season in Durham.
With the bulk of the roster and starting lineup still intact, familiarity is one big reason why this year’s team having so much more success.
“We’ve just improved with team communication and team cohesiveness and understanding each other’s capabilities,” Duke head coach Jolene Nagel said. “The younger kids last year were having to carry a bigger load.”
As freshmen last season, Elizabeth Campbell and Emily Sklar combined for 615 kills, or 36.3 percent of the team's total. Jeme Obeime was Duke’s leading hitter with 320 kills as a sophomore, and Cook added 247. This year, a well-balanced offensive attack has taken the pressure off individual players.
Campbell said getting the first year of experience under her belt has made her much more comfortable on the court.
“Your first year you find out you’re playing against 22-year-olds and girls who are stronger than you and have so much more experience,” Campbell said. “And you’re not targeted—as a freshman, like ‘Oh that girl’s a freshman, let’s target her and get her out of this game.’ Now they’re like, ‘Oh, she’s a sophomore, she’s a lot stronger mentally than last year.’”
The team has also altered its approach this season as well, stressing the importance of taking each match one at a time. Nagel credits her two captains with making sure that the younger players understand the problems that arise by overlooking an opponent. Cook and libero Ali McCurdy were freshmen on that 2010 ACC championship team and are seeking their first return trip to the top of the conference pedestal.
“One thing we’ve realized over our four years here is that everyone wants to beat Duke,” Cook said. “We’re the team that everyone has marked on their schedules, they want to get this win… Every game could be the ACC championship game.”
Duke faced some high-caliber competition early in the season, posting a 4-2 record after two weekends of play. Since then, the Blue Devils have won 18 of 19, including statement victories against then-No. 16 Illinois and then-No. 10 North Carolina and a five-set marathon against then-No. 18 Florida State.
The win against the Tar Heels opened eyes around the country, including some on the Duke team.
“[Against North Carolina] was the moment where we realized that we could compete and not just compete but beat teams that are ranked in the top 15,” Campbell said. “Playing Carolina, our biggest rival, sweeping them in three on their home court, that was a big deal for us. We were like, ‘If we can beat them on their home court, we have a pretty good chance of beating anyone.’”
With just six matches to go in the regular season, the Blue Devils appear headed for the NCAA tournament once again after missing out on postseason play last season for the first time in eight years.
“It would be a really big deal, especially for the sophomore class since we haven’t been to that point yet,” Campbell said. “It’ll be something new for us.”
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