The volleyball team hits the road this weekend intent on staying in the hunt for second place in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
After sweeping conference foes Georgia Tech (22-4, 6-3 in the ACC) and Clemson (14-9, 6-3) last weekend, the Blue Devils (8-8, 5-3) will travel to Maryland and Virginia this weekend looking to keep pace in a tough race.
Duke fell to the same two opponents at home just two weeks ago, but after its inspired and improved play recently, the Blue Devils have plenty of reason to believe that they can turn the tables this time around.
Duke faces the ACC-leading Terrapins (16-4, 9-0) Friday night in search of revenge after losing a heartbreaking five-set match in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
"I thought we played a great match, and it is the type of match where we fought hard and left everything on the floor," Duke coach Linda Grensing said. "We just didn't do some of the little things in critical situations."
Maryland boasts a balanced attack with no glaring weaknesses or overriding strengths. They are led on offense by Duana Roester, who is averaging 3.82 kills per game.
The Blue Devils head to Virginia Saturday night to face a Cavalier squad that upset Duke in Cameron Indoor Stadium a day after the Maryland loss. That loss was particularly frustrating for the Blue Devils because it was a match they feel that they could have easily won.
"That loss was a bad loss; I don't think we were prepared," Grensing said. "[Virginia] wanted that match, and they got it because they just fought harder, longer."
Leading the way for the Cavaliers will be senior Whitney Casey, who is one of the best all-around players in the conference. She is averaging 3.91 kills per game-good for fifth in the ACC-along with 3.73 digs per game, which places her fourth in the conference rankings. Against Duke she registered 24 kills and 23 digs and inspired her teammates with her tremendous hitting prowess and hustle.
Duke will counter its talented opponents in both matches with an increasingly powerful offense and a scrappy defense.
Junior setter Kristen Campbell has had a great deal of success this year, passing the ball to a variety of hitters, but her primary receiver of late has been ACC Freshman of the Year candidate Sarah Peifer. Peifer was named conference Freshman of the Week last week after notching 6.2 kills per game and 6.3 digs per game in the two Blue Devil wins. She now ranks third in the ACC with 4.19 kills per game and will be relied upon heavily to both start the offense off with solid ball control and finish points with her powerful kills.
Peifer has also played a significantly increased role on defense for Duke. She is now second in the ACC with 4.23 digs per game. She trails only junior Blue Devil Maureen Reindl, who is averaging 4.78 digs per game. The Blue Devils proficiency at digging represents both their scrappy, hustling style of play on defense and their improved ability to bend but not break.
With both Tech and Clemson taking the weekend off in conference play, the Blue Devils have a golden opportunity to leapfrog them both into second place in the ACC-which is exactly where they have had their sights set since opening day.
"We have to keep focusing on our main goal, which is to finish in the top two [in the ACC] and place well in the [ACC] Tournament," Grensing said. "For us, it's not just about individual [match] results, but also the building process... for the end of the season and next year."
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