After being upset by both Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech in early November, the only hope Duke had at claiming the ACC title for a second-straight year was to win the remaining six games in the regular season.
So far, the Blue Devils are on the right track.
No. 21 Duke (21-6, 13-3 in the ACC) will look to extend its four-game winning streak Wednesday at Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill at 2 p.m. as it takes on No. 6 North Carolina in another pivotal conference clash between the two rivals.
After defeating then-No. 3 and then-undefeated Florida State, it seems that almost anything is possible for the Blue Devil squad within the walls of Cameron Indoor Stadium. The road, however, has been a challenge for Duke, as it is just 8-4 away from home, compared to its sparkling 13-2 home record. The last time the Tar Heels went head-to-head with the Blue Devils, they shocked Duke with a three-set sweep In Durham Oct. 19
“It was the longest three-set match I have ever been apart of. Even though it was three-sets to none, it wasn’t a walkover,” head coach Jolene Nagel said.
North Carolina (24-2, 15-1) has not lost since late September against Florida State, and the Tar Heels now boast a 15-game winning streak. With senior Ece Taner posing both a strong offensive and defensive threat—averaging 0.39 aces and 4.46 digs per set—head coach Joe Sagula’s team will present a stiff test.
The Blue Devils will be facing North Carolina fresh off two road wins against conference opponents. Both teams’ last win came against Louisville, as Duke was able to claim a three-set sweep and the Tar Heels gave up one set against the Cardinals for a 3-1 win.
“Louisville appreciates good volleyball, and in that environment when we were back-and-forth with points, our team really kept our composure," Nagel said. "That is the type of pressure that we need to deal with…and we handled it well. UNC will be a similar environment, and I believe that we are better-prepared to handle it.”
The Tobacco Road rivalry poses an interesting matchup, as Duke boasts a conference-best 0.270 hitting percentage. On the other side of the net, the Tar Heels will counter with the ACC's best blocks rate at 3.18 per set. When the two teams last squared off, the Tar Heels dominated Duke up front, tallying 11.5 team blocks compared to the Blue Devils' three.
“In order to be able to handle their blocks, we have to be able to control the ball when we get the chance to touch it," Nagel said. "This will then open up the block a little bit.”
Duke will look toward its veterans to lead the way in making these progressions Wednesday, and as of late, senior setter Kelsey Williams has been the Blue Devils' go-to player when they need a boost. Not only does Williams lead the conference in assists per set, but she also ranks fourth in the NCAA and has led Duke to the nation's second-best team average with 14.13 assists per set.
“She has continued to develop throughout the season," Nagel said. "Kelsey has done a good job of trying to help us develop that by evaluating her performance, giving her a little bit more consistency going into this next match.”
To have a shot at taking home the ACC title once again, Williams and Duke will need to step up and knock off another top-10 opponent. With just two matches left in the season and the Oct. 19 home loss on their minds, the Blue Devils will have plenty to play for Wednesday.
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