Cross-Triangle treks await Duke volleyball

<p>Junior libero Sasha Karelov became the 21st player in Duke history to record her 1,000th career dig last week against Virginia.</p>

Junior libero Sasha Karelov became the 21st player in Duke history to record her 1,000th career dig last week against Virginia.

After a week to recover and learn from its most recent setback, Duke will look to climb back above .500 in conference play against its Triangle rivals.

The Blue Devils take on North Carolina Friday at 6 p.m. at Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill before making another short trip to visit N.C. State Sunday at 1 p.m. at Broughton High School in Raleigh, with the Wolfpack’s usual home, Reynolds Coliseum, currently undergoing renovations. After losing an error-filled battle against Virginia last Friday, Duke will attempt to rebound with a strong weekend. Equipped with a full week to recharge, the Blue Devils will look to avoid the same mistakes they committed against the Cavaliers, as they blew a quick 7-2 lead in the first set.

“We have to be able to sustain the start,” Duke head coach Jolene Nagel said. “We have to follow that up with consistent and strong play.”

North Carolina (4-7, 1-1 in the ACC) enters Friday’s match off its fifth road loss of the year, and N.C. State (11-3, 0-2) is still seeking its first conference win after dropping its first two matches. The Tar Heels rely on senior middle blockers Victoria McPherson and Paige Neuenfeldt to anchor their front line, which averages 3.0 blocks per set, good for tops in the ACC and sixth in the nation. Neuenfeldt leads North Carolina’s offensive attack with 96 kills, and McPherson is the squad’s most efficient hitter among players with more than 15 kills, sporting a .375 hitting percentage.

The Wolfpack boast youthful talent in sophomore Kaitlyn Kearney and freshman Blayke Hranicka, two of four N.C. State players with more than 100 kills so far this season. Both players are also hitting better than .300. The Blue Devils (6-6, 1-1) had mixed results against their Triangle counterparts last year, going winless in two matches against the Tar Heels and defeating the Wolfpack in their lone contest.

North Carolina’s record makes the Tar Heels a tough team to figure out. North Carolina’s nonconference schedule included five matches against ranked teams—including dominant straight-set wins against then-No. 3 Stanford and then-No. 20 Michigan, two teams that have defeated the Blue Devils. But the No. 7 ranked team in preseason polls has also suffered sweeps at the hands of unranked opponents in Minnesota and Pittsburgh.

N.C. State, on the other hand, surged in nonconference play, albeit against lesser competition. The Wolfpack have struggled to acclimate to the competition within the ACC, though, dropping recent matches to Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech.

“They’re both going to be very good opponents,” Nagel said. “They’ve both had two different schedules, and I think that makes a big difference.”

Duke has trudged through a grueling start to the season, with tough nonconference matches against some of the top teams in the nation. Nagel has relied on her upperclassmen to emerge as leaders to guide the team through the season, especially senior outside hitter Emily Sklar and junior libero Sasha Karelov.

For Karelov, the match against N.C. State will represent a homecoming of sorts, as the Raleigh native will be matched up against former club volleyball teammates.

“We’ve told [the underclassmen] that it is important to realize that every team in the ACC is legitimate, and that they keep on getting better and better, so we need to keep getting better and better,” Karelov said. “No team has won the ACC championship undefeated, so we need to go out each game and expect to win.”

With a team-high 20 digs against Virginia, Karelov cemented a spot in Duke history, becoming the 21st player to reach 1,000 career digs.

“It pushes me more because I want to be higher on the list,” the junior libero said. “It’s kind of motivational because I know that there is a next milestone out there for me to reach.”

The Blue Devils have watched a lot of film this week, hoping to improve on a meager .196 hitting percentage against the Cavaliers. Nagel has stressed communication and camaraderie, because with the long and treacherous journey through the ACC, the team will need to find its peak performance quickly.

With a quick turnaround between games, the Blue Devils will try to stay fresh, as this weeklong rest is important in their quest to move up in the ACC standings.

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