There is an old '60s song that goes, "Short people have no reason to live." Well, the volleyball team would certainly take exception to that phrase and point toward its go-to player, junior Sarah Peifer.
Peifer, who checks in at 5-foot-9 (with shoes and arch supports), is easily the shortest hitter on the team. Nonetheless, she has led the team in kills her first two years and is leading it once again, this time with over 150 more put-aways than the runner-up on the team.
So, how does she do it?
"I learned a lot from Mo [Reindl]," she said. "If you mix up shots, it always confuses the opponent. Before I hit, I know where they aren't. I look at the scouting reports and mark out where I should hit."
While Peifer is one of the hardest hitters in the league, power is not always the best weapon. It's knowing where to hit the ball that is important. In the match against Wake Forest Tuesday night, at least five or six of her team-high 20 kills came on touch shots down the line or into open corners of the court.
"A lot of times if I swing high, I can just knock the ball off the top of the block and out-of-bounds," she said. "A lot of my kills are really just shots. Other times I just jump and hit as hard as I can."
Her coach, Linda Grensing, notes that Peifer's strength and physical condition allow her to overcome her height disadvantage.
"Physically, she is strong," Grensing said. "She can use her power to create a weakness in a bigger blocker and put the ball away before they can react."
Peifer has had quite an impressive history at Duke throughout her two-and-a-half years. In nearly every match recap, the line "Junior outside hitter Sarah Peifer led the Blue Devils..." can be found in the first paragraph.
She has been recognized a number of times for her achievements, including being named ACC Rookie of the Year and gaining a spot on last season's All-ACC first team. This season another first-team selection seems inevitable, as she has led the team in kills in 22 of 25 matches.
"I play better when I'm relaxed," Peifer said. "If I think about what the coach is going to do to me next, I get all tense. I've learned not to care about what everyone thinks. I was taught to play for an audience of one."
While kills are likely the most exciting aspect of volleyball, defense and serving are just as important. Believe it or not, the junior is tops on the team in digs and aces as well, which she showcased in a 31-dig performance Tuesday night.
"I know where they are going to hit it most of the time," she said. "If I see a hole in the court I try to get over there and fill it because I know that if I was the hitter, I would go for that hole.
"I actually have a goal in my head that the ball is not hitting the floor wherever I am. I guess I like getting digs and just running after the balls."
Peifer's powerful jump serve, which can help bring her team into a match in a matter of minutes, is another effective weapon in her repertoire and another category in which she has led the team over her three seasons. She uses this offensively, but it also helps her to return other jump-servers.
"If I get a first serve in and it is aggressive, usually the rest will be aggressive," she said. "When the opponent's jump-server serves, I can see what she is going to do because I jump serve. So, I try to look at it from their side and see where I would hit it."
While Peifer seems to be in great health now, she has had her list of injuries, a list that would likely impress even Super Dave. She has had surgery on both her shoulders and has had some trouble with her elbow and knee as well.
Her first injury, the right shoulder, was merely a result of too much effort.
"Freshman year I was just swinging too much," she said. "Even when it was hurting, I just kept swinging. I guess I was just trying to get a starting spot on the team."
Peifer also injured her left shoulder freshman year diving for a ball, and she was told that her season might be over. After sitting out a match against William and Mary, Peifer announced to the team that she would be ready to play for its next match against N.C. State. The consensus in the locker room was that the recovery was nothing short of a miracle.
Peifer first had surgery on her right shoulder immediately after the season. Unfortunately, even the surgery did not work out perfectly as she woke up in the middle to find the doctors sewing up her arm.
After two months of stretching and rehabilitating her right shoulder, she had the surgery for her left one. Despite the offseason repairs, she appeared in all 31 matches in her sophomore campaign and even recorded career highs in both kills and digs.
While the numbers speak for themselves, Peifer has contributed to the team in many ways, and Grensing is fully aware of her importance.
"Sarah is someone that is just a real stable part of what we do," she said. "She's huge in terms of our ball control when it comes to passing and digging."
Even when Peifer is not registering another kill, her passing allows the setter to open up a quality shot for the hitter.
But what makes Peifer a special player is her ability to record big numbers and make big plays against all opponents. She has played in every game of every match this season and recorded double figures in kills in all but one of the matches.
"As the competition gets tougher, Sarah is always somebody who will step up," Grensing said. "You can tell when she wants a match to be over because she will start hitting harder."
Peifer has been solid all season and her team has won its last two matches, trying to get back on track in the ACC. So, as the ACC tournament draws near, Sarah Peifer is a resounding example that, yes, short people do have a reason to live.
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