Up to about 9 p.m. Saturday, the weekend in Reno was going exactly as the volleyball team had hoped. Coach Jolene Nagel opened her Duke career with wins over Fresno State and Saint Mary's and was preparing her team for game five in the championship match against Nevada.
After being crushed 15-5 in the opening game against the Wildcats, the Blue Devils (2-1) appeared to be done as Nevada opened a substantial lead early in game two. But Duke fought back to take the game in dramatic fashion, 18-16. The teams split the next two games, which led to the pivotal fifth game.
"A great thing about this match was the adjustments we made after the first game," Nagel said. "We were playing at a completely different level in game four than we were in the first game."
Unfortunately for Duke, the game five struggles of a year ago reared their ugly heads once again. Nevada (3-0) held off the Blue Devils run to capture the final game, 15-10, and the tournament title.
"We started out well in game five, but we had a few reception errors and service errors," Nagel said. "That was the difference between a 7-6 game and a 10-6 game. We just have to eliminate our errors in a big game like that and we would be all right."
Despite the Saturday night loss, the Blue Devils had a solid start to their season. Opening night nerves were no factor Friday against Fresno State, as Duke dispersed the Bulldogs in three games, 15-8, 15-12, 15-12.
Sophomore Dorette Burwell led the Blue Devils with seven kills, while senior Dominique Philipp added five kills and seven digs.
"Dominique was playing a new position this weekend, and she did a great job," Nagel said. "In regard to hitting, she was really a mainstay for us all weekend."
Sophomore Ashley Harris and the rest of the team stepped up the offensive output on Saturday morning against Saint Mary's. The Gaels took the first game by a 15-11 count, but the Blue Devils came back to take the final three and the victory.
Harris notched an impressive 18 kills and 18 digs in the contest, and Philipp contributed 18 kills of her own. Senior Jami Ediger earned her first double-double of the season, recording 13 kills and 11 digs.
Philipp, who made the all-tournament team along with Harris, also took the offensive lead for the Blue Devils in Saturday night's finale, hammering 18 kills and recording 11 digs. Freshman Jill Sonne had a breakthrough performance against the Wildcats, as she contributed 13 kills and 9 digs.
"Jill had a great weekend for us," Nagel said. "She really made some key blocks for us at some crucial times during the games."
After a slow start in the opener, sophomore Pam Gottfred was sharp at setter, dishing out 51 assists against Saint Mary's and 59 in the tangle with Nevada yesterday.
"This weekend was a really positive experience for us," Nagel said. "It gave me a chance against other competition to see what we need to work on. I think this team will just keep improving as the season goes along."
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