After a tough stretch on the road, Duke volleyball was finally back at home greeted by a warm tribute; a banner reading “We Love Our Seniors” hung above the bench. The Blue Devils, energized by the recognition of their senior class, took the court with pride.
Despite the heightened excitement, the Blue Devils (9-20, 5-13 ACC) left with a devastating loss against Cal (13-17, 5-13 ACC). Both teams entered the contest coming off losses, with Duke fresh off a tough 3-0 home loss to Stanford. Cal seized control early, leaving the Blue Devils with a disappointing 3-1 defeat inside Cameron Indoor Stadium.
“We always hope to get that win for seniors, so we're disappointed we weren't able to finish that,” head coach Jolene Nagel said.
After a first set loss, Duke came out with renewed energy to start the second set, quickly taking the first point and building a 4-1 lead. A service error momentarily dampened their spirits, but the Blue Devils bounced back with a kill from the pin and an ace to stretch the lead to 8-4 — a scoreline strikingly similar to the first set.
Breonna Goss was a standout early, delivering a powerful shot that found its mark on Cal’s defense. With Duke leading 13-8, the Golden Bears were forced to call a timeout; the Blue Devils showed no signs of slowing down. They kept the pressure on and secured the set, 25-16. There was hope for Duke.
However, Cal took the third set in a routine 25-17 affair. Duke came out strong in the fourth set, with two immediate aces and a thrilling back-and-forth rally; both teams traded long, intense points. With the Golden Bears taking a commanding 20-14 lead, it was Taylor Williams who broke through with a powerful spike to push Duke to a competitive 24-19, putting the visitors on the brink of set point.
However, the momentum shifted when Duke challenged a potential touch on Cal’s block, but the review went in the Golden Bears' favor. With the challenge lost, the Blue Devils faced a tough break. A crafty tip from Cal kept it alive, and it capitalized on Duke’s missed opportunities.
Despite the continual rallies, the Golden Bears managed to secure the set, taking a 3-1 win in the match and sending the Blue Devils to a heartbreaking loss after a promising start.
“I think we needed to just have a little bit more energy out there in sets three and in sets four,” Nagel said. “I felt like we didn't have the energy out there. I felt like the communication broke down a little bit. We weren't talking as much, and then we were making miscues on defense, where I think we could have done a better job of handling some of that.”
The first set was a back-and-forth affair. Duke, playing a mixed lineup with senior leadership, got off to a strong start but made an early service error at 3-2. A big block from the Blue Devils later tied it up at 4-4 — Duke’s defense was actively responding.
Cal struggled with receiving serve, allowing Duke to build momentum, including a 7-0 run that forced the Bears into a timeout. A block by Williams tied the game at 12, and the Blue Devils were taking full advantage via the service line. The score remained tight, and neither team could take a commanding lead. At 15-15, Rachel Richardson’s kill gave Duke a brief advantage, but a Blue Devil error brought things back even. Multiple attack errors from the Blue Devils set up a set point, and despite a crafty tip from Williams, Cal’s own Maggie Li’s final kill sealed the set for the Golden Bears, 25-23.
“I'd say we're disappointed, but at the same time we didn't play poorly. I just think we needed to just have a little bit more energy out there in set three and in set four,” Nagel said.
Duke will play Wake Forest at home Wednesday and then again at Miami Friday.
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