For the second time in less than six months, the Blue Devils will have to cope with the loss of standout Ali McCurdy.
McCurdy started the 2014 season as a volunteer assistant coach a year removed from her successful senior year in which she led Duke back to the NCAA Tournament, after the Blue Devils missed qualifying in 2013 for the first time since 2004.
But she will not be on the sidelines for Duke’s campaign to return to the national championships this year, after receiving an opportunity to continue her volleyball career in Romania.
Although the Blue Devils lost a standout on the back line unmatched by any defensive player in the conference, McCurdy’s graduation did not deprive the team of her wealth of knowledge and experience. Bringing her energy and competitive spirit to the sideline, she resumed her role as a team leader from a different vantage point.
“I am super competitive, so as a coach, you can lead and vocalize what you are seeing on the court, but at the end of the day, it’s out of your control,” McCurdy said. “That was a learning experience. But it was awesome to see them asking questions and willing to learn.”
Named ACC Defensive Player of the Year for the past three seasons, McCurdy collected 2,538 digs over the course of her collegiate career, making her the conference’s all-time career leader and only the 12th player in NCAA history to surpass the 2,500 digs mark.
As the 2014 season began, McCurdy watched from the sidelines as her successor, sophomore Sasha Karelov, stepped up as libero.
Karelov finished the 2013 season behind only McCurdy for the team lead in digs, amassing 265 in 33 games as a freshman. Opening this season with 222 digs in 11 games—and earning a career-high 35 in a single contest against Campbell in early September—the sophomore has benefited from having her predecessor as her mentor.
“She was super strong as a freshman, and she has made an effort since December to get better each and every day,” McCurdy said. “She is already getting big numbers. The team is in good shape with having her back there.”
Over the past two months, McCurdy worked closely with Karelov and the team’s other defensive specialists Laura Williams, Nicole Elattrache and Chloe DiPasquale. Sharing her first-hand experience as the key playmaker of the back line, McCurdy has given the quartet special attention as they work on receiving attacks and serves. They have also had key lessons in leadership and communication from Duke’s best, which will be vital to team chemistry as the Blue Devils head into ACC play.
“It was awesome to focus mainly on the defensive players,” McCurdy said. “It was really cool to see players that I was playing with progress... and having them take what I said to heart. They were extremely responsive.”
But McCurdy and the rest of the Duke squad and coaching staff knew that she might not be around for the whole season.
As McCurdy wrapped up her 2013 season in December, she knew that she wanted to continue playing beyond her career as a Blue Devil. After finding an agent to look into opportunities in Europe, she planned to come back to Duke for a year and wait, working both as a volunteer assistant coach for the volleyball program and interning in the athletic department. While considering a graduate education in sports management, McCurdy put herself in an ideal position if her dream did not play out.
Only two months after returning to the program, she got the call to pack her bags for the next eight months.
“I am so close to my family... and friends and coaches and everyone at Duke,” McCurdy said. “It is sad saying goodbye to everyone, but there’s not a question about whether this is the right thing. This is something that I’ve worked hard for. What I feel right now is the anticipation leading up to living in a new country for eight months.”
With an offer to play for the C.S.M. Satu Mare in Romania, McCurdy visited her friends and family at home in Tampa, Fla., and flew out of the country last Tuesday—just a week after receiving the call. She jumped right into practice Thursday and will begin her season in mid-October.
“We have been fortunate enough to have Ali around as our volunteer assistant, knowing that she might get a phone call to go play professionally in Europe and that she might have to leave at any moment,” head coach Jolene Nagel said. “And she has gotten that call. But we are really excited for her and we are going to miss her helping and benefiting our team.”
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