The volleyball team hopes the old cliche "familiarity breeds contempt" will work in its favor this evening.
Duke takes on third-ranked UCLA in an NCAA tournament third-round match at 5 p.m. in the James O'Connell Center in Gainesville, Fla.
Many of the Blue Devils have already played with or against several players on the UCLA team. Seniors Adrian Nicol and Ashley Wacholder, sophomore Kristin McMahon and freshman Kristen Campbell all hail from the West Coast, where many have played against present Bruins.
"It takes a lot away from the UCLA aura and brings them down to a normal level, because they're people you've already played against," McMahon said.
"Familiarity is good," Duke head coach Jon Wilson said. "You tend to overrate a team if you don't know them, so knowing them is an advantage."
In addition, Nicol played with UCLA player Annette Buckner this summer at the Olympic Festival. Although they were only together for 10 days, the experience could help the Blue Devils.
"I know little things about how she plays and I know how she reacts to certain situations," Nicol said.
Duke last played UCLA (29-3) in 1989, and the team lost 3-1. But following a convincing 3-0 win over Georgia last Saturday, the team feels confident about taking on the Bruins.
"Everyone is very confident," Nicol said. "We have a really good chance to win if we play like we did against Georgia."
"The whole team played really well [against Georgia]," McMahon said. "That will help going into UCLA because they're always known as a perennial powerhouse."
The Blue Devils will face a physically powerful UCLA team which relies on outside hitters Buckner and Jenny Johnson. To contain those two, Duke must be at its defensive best.
However, the team has already had experience in this area, as a strong defensive effort shut down Georgia's All-American outside hitters Priscilla Pacheco and Nikki Nicholson. Once those hitters were contained, the rest of the Bulldog team broke down.
If Duke should beat UCLA, it will mark not only the furthest Duke has ever gone in the NCAA tournament, but the furthest any ACC team has ever been. Last year, the Blue Devils made it to the third round, but lost to Texas 3-0.
"I think we went to Texas underconfident," Wilson said. "We need to be ready to take care of any opponent presented to us."
In order to win against a tough UCLA squad, Wilson said Duke must play well as a team and limit UCLA's quick attack.
"To win as a team, we have to rely on everybody," Nicol said. "We're very difficult to beat when everyone's on."
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