There is no better way to start a season than to go out and exceed your own expectations. And that is exactly what the volleyball team accomplished this weekend by taking No. 11 Florida to the limit and placing second at the University Centre Hotel Invitational in the process.
The Blue Devils traveled to Gainesville hoping to gain some valuable experience against one of the nation's strongest programs. The result: a five game loss to the heavily favored Gators that began with Duke jumping out to a two games to none lead in front of 3,293 shocked fans.
"I think [the trip] was extremely good for us," head coach Linda Grensing said. "Our goal was to go down there and be as competitive as we can. We opened up against Florida, being ranked eleventh in the country and playing at their place-they get a great drive from the crowd. We did a great job, we came out and we were up 2-0 on them. For this group to come up and go after Florida on their home court was a great accomplishment."
The Friday evening match was the first of the season for the Blue Devils, and the inexperience cost them as the Gators rallied to win the match 12-15, 11-15, 15-6, 15-3, 15-8.
"We couldn't close," Grensing said. "I think we started to think a little bit about the fact that we were up 2-0 on Florida and had a little doubt in the system that had gotten us there and Florida stepped up quite a bit as well."
Fresh of the previous evening's strong performance, Duke battled Iowa-who had downed the Blue Devils in Durham early on last season. This time the tables were turned as Duke emerged victorious 15-12, 16-14, 13-15, 15-8.
The win was a clear indicator that Friday's performance was not a fluke.
"I think this group is a much more solid group than the one we had a year ago," Grensing said. "I think it is a great indicator of the difference in the teams.
"There were points where we could have broken down after that loss in the third game, but then we came back very strong in the fourth game. I think that is very important-that team a year ago would not have been able to do that."
"That was a fun win, because it was a little bit of a revenge thing," Campbell said.
Duke completed the tournament with a second match on Saturday against Louisiana Tech. The Lacy Techsters appeared overmatched throughout the contest as the Blue Devils locked up second place with a 15-11, 15-12, 13-15, 15-4 victory.
"I think we had a little bit of a letdown in our focus," Grensing said. "Louisiana Tech is kind of a small, scrappy team that if you make a lot of unforced errors, they are going to hurt you.
"There were times when I felt like we let down a little bit. I think that we were a better team than they were and should've beaten them in three, but that is what the early part of the season is for. We had some moments were we didn't play our best, but we were still able to win-which I think is important for this group."
In addition to the team's success, outside hitters junior Maureen Reindl and freshman Sarah Peifer gained individual honors as they were named to the All-Tournament Team. Reindl finished the tournament with a team-high 46 kills, including game-highs 16 against Florida and 20 versus Louisiana tech. She also registered an impressive 25 digs against the Gators.
Peifer made an immediate impact in her first game as a Blue Devil by executing nine kills against Florida and 42 for the tournament. She lead the team with 20 kills against the Hawkeyes.
Freshman Jami Ediger also saw extensive playing time and finished third behind Reindl and Peifer with 30 kills for the tournament.
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