Six of the volleyball team's first 10 matches have been against ranked opponents, and all six have resulted in losses. But based on Duke's performance this weekend at the USA Cup in Chicago, the tough early-season schedule is paying off.
After losing Friday night to No. 3 Long Beach State 3-0, the Blue Devils bounced back to defeat Atlantic Coast Conference rival Georgia Tech by the same score in Saturday's third-place match. The Yellow Jackets-who finished second in the conference last year, one spot ahead of Duke-knocked the Blue Devils out of the 1996 ACC Tournament in three games.
"When we play teams like [defending national champion] Stanford and Long Beach, they're putting the best blockers and the best hitters out on the court," said Duke coach Linda Grensing. "We've gotten frustrated at times but have had to develop more shots. So when we face Georgia Tech, which is a good team, we've already worked through the weak areas."
The Blue Devils will see the Yellow Jackets again in less than two weeks, when they travel to Atlanta to begin their quest for their first ACC title since 1994. On Saturday, Duke used a consistent attack for a 15-9, 15-8, 15-11 victory over Georgia Tech, which followed a strong showing against the 49ers Friday night. The Blue Devils jumped ahead of Long Beach State 4-0 in the first game, before eventually falling 15-8, and kept the pressure on in the second, a 15-11 loss. The 49ers put the match away with a 15-2 win in the third game.
"In games one and two we were competitive," Grensing said. "Our serves were aggressive, we went after blocks and hits. That's how we have to play, to make things happen, so the other team's in a reactionary mode."
Senior outside hitter Jenny Stadler earned All-Tournament honors for Duke, but Grensing said she couldn't single out one, or even several, Blue Devils as responsible for the team's solid play.
"Part of why we'll win matches and have success this year is that we don't have four players but 12 players," she said, "and they push each other in the gym. We have people who come in for certain points, for just one or two situations a game. We have a real sense of team."
Duke will host the first round of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge on Friday night, when it will face Michigan, then make the short trip to Chapel Hill to face Purdue in the second day of the tournament. Then it's on to ACC competition, where the Blue Devils will try to improve on last year's 10-6, third-place finish.
While they may not face the caliber of opponents in the conference as they have in recent weeks, Grensing said that these early-season matches against top-ranked teams could pay dividends much later.
"The team that's top in the ACC is a top 20 team," she said. "Our goal is to win the ACC Championship, and if we do, that means we go to the NCAA Tournament and have the same battles. Our goal is to face the same teams again and not be shocked like the first time because we've been in this situation before. And we will not be the same team, we'll be able to show how much further we've come since the first meeting."
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