As students finish up their first round of midterms, Duke can rest easy after passing the first of its crucial conference road tests of the season.
The Blue Devils hit the road this weekend, with stops at Charlottesville, Va., and South Bend, Ind., and were able to return to Durham Sunday afternoon with two more ACC victories under their belts. Duke swept the Cavaliers and took down the Fighting Irish 3-1.
The team’s first stop came in Charlottesville, as the Blue Devils (12-3, 4-0 in the ACC) faced Virginia. A talented Cavalier squad kept the Blue Devils from securing a substantial lead in the first set. But the offensive effort, particularly on the part of sophomore outside hitters Jordan Tucker and Emily Sklar, allowed Duke to capture the first set 25-23.
“I was really pleased with the way we began the match,” head coach Jolene Nagel said. “We continued to control the ball like we wanted to, stuck to the game plan, and executed pretty well.”
After securing the opening stanza, the team continued to dictate play, holding the Cavaliers (10-7, 3-1) to only 18 points in both the second and the third sets. Despite Virginia’s aggressive serve receiving, Nagel attributed the first success of the weekend to the squad’s efficient play and communication throughout.
Tucker knocked down 12 kills during the course of the match, with zero attack errors on 18 attempts, recording an impressive .667 hitting percentage. Senior outside hitter Jeme Obemie led the Blue Devils with 13 kills overall.
“Virginia had some very talented hitters and blockers and their serve receiving was really solid,” Nagel said. “We really had to work hard to serve tough to be able to make headway in that match, and I think we did that.”
The team’s next stop was Purcell Pavilion, where the Blue Devils took on Notre Dame (4-11, 1-3) Sunday. Not unlike the previous matchup, the squad was anticipating an athletic group of players on the other side of the net and, according to Nagel, that is exactly what it got. She observed that it was difficult for the team to adjust in the opening set, despite the early two-set lead.
“I feel like we had a good start, but I don’t think we were as disciplined as we needed to be,” Nagel said. “That, then, allowed some errors to seep in and when we’re making errors, the other team has a chance to score some points. I felt like we had more errors today than we did on Friday.”
The numerous attack errors culminated in a third set loss 25-20 for the Blue Devils, with the team recording only a .029 hitting percentage overall and posting 13 attack errors.
The slump did not last long, however, as the Blue Devils managed to bounce back in the fourth set, due to what Nagel attributes to the squad’s improved focus on its collective playing ability. Communication has been a theme for Duke, and the majority of the team’s successes have involved consistent and effective communication between players and coaches, including the wins this weekend.
In addition to the team’s offensive success, the defensive effort was a critical part of the weekend’s victories. Sophomore defensive specialist Sasha Karelov recorded 20 digs in the three-set match against Virginia and 23 digs against the Fighting Irish.
“[Karelov] had a great weekend,” Nagel said. “I don’t think it was our best defensive effort for our entire team today, but having as many digs [as] she had really helped out.”
Although the Blue Devils collective defense left a lot to be desired against Notre Dame, the squad boasted four players with double-digit kills, which contributed heavily to the wins.
“Considering the circumstances of the travel and everything, I think it was a great thing to come away with two wins this weekend on the road in the ACC,” Nagel said. “That’s a wonderful thing to do.”
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.