When most people make a weekend trip to Nevada they don't return home as winners. The volleyball team, however, has much greater odds than the average tourist, since it will do its gambling on the court.
The Blue Devils open the 1999 season this weekend at the Nevada Invitational in Reno. Duke takes on Fresno State in its opener this evening, and Nevada will host Saint Mary's in the late game.
"I'm really excited about our first chance this season to compete," coach Jolene Nagel said. "This is a weekend that will definitely be very challenging, but it's time to get things rolling."
The Blue Devils have made a habit of taking long road trips to begin the season, traveling to Alaska to start the 1998 campaign and to Michigan the year before. While Duke won two of three to begin last year, the level of competition in the Nevada tourney is of a much higher quality.
Fresno State, the Blue Devils' first opponent, is picked to finish second in the WAC this year. The Bulldogs return three starters from a club that made a strong run to make the NCAA tournament last season.
Nevada could be the strongest team in the field and is picked to win the Eastern Division of the Big West. Last season, the Wildcats, led by Suzanne Stonebarger, racked up 22 wins and made their first NCAA appearance in school history. The only sub-par team in the field is Saint Mary's, which returns four starters from a 9-19 squad a year ago.
The Blue Devils will make the trip out west with revenge on their minds. Last year, the Wildcats defeated Duke 3-1 in the championship game of the Duke Classic in Durham.
This opening weekend will be Nagel's first opportunity to gauge where her team is. And she knows the Blue Devils are ready to take on an opponent other than themselves.
"This will give me a good chance to get some information on some players in a competitive setting," Nagel said. "I am really interested in seeing how the chemistry works between different groups of players.... Our goals early on are not based solely on winning or losing but on developing as a team to a higher level each week."
The Nevada Invitational is just the first example of the tough non-conference schedule the Blue Devils will play this season. It is interesting to note, however, that Nagel will be playing a schedule that she had no part in making. Due to her late hiring, she inherited a schedule from previous coach Linda Grensing. But the new coach insisted that scheduling is not a problem at all.
"This schedule is something I obviously can't control," Nagel said. "The way I see it, we just have to go out there each game and do the very best we can. It's a very competitive schedule, and there are no easy matches. But I would not say that it is overwhelming for us."
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.