The weekend didn't go the way it was supposed to for the volleyball team. The Blue Devils entered the ACC tournament with high hopes, but Virginia quickly put those hopes to rest on Friday.
The fourth-seeded Cavaliers (17-10) defeated the No. 5 Blue Devils 3-1 at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, bringing the season to an abrupt end for Duke (13-14).
"For some reason, no one was really into the game," sophomore Dorrette Burwell said. "We weren't very animated about it, and there wasn't much emotion or feeling on the court.... We really could not put our finger on the exact reasons behind our loss."
Deanna Zwarich led the way for the Cavaliers, who beat Duke for the third time this season, with an impressive line of 11 kills, 12 digs and 10 blocks. Jessica Parsons also contributed 14 kills to the Virginia cause.
On Duke's side, senior Jami Ediger closed her college career with a solid performance, registering 10 kills and 11 digs on the day. Burwell also reached double figures in kills with 10.
Of the four games played in the contest, the smallest margin of victory was nine points. The Wahoos opened the match with a 15-6 win to put Duke on its heels.
But the Blue Devils responded in game 2, winning by the same 15-6 score. At this point, Virginia took complete control of the match, allowing the Blue Devils only eight points in the final two games combined.
Game 3 went to the Cavaliers 15-3, and they followed that showing with 15-5 win to close out the match.
"We just broke down passing and didn't play defense well enough," Burwell said. "We kind of let up on them.... Passing is the key. Without a good pass, you can't get a set or a hit. So, when it breaks down at the roots, it kind of breaks down the whole game."
One of the Blue Devils' biggest strengths all season was their ability to block their opponents' big hitters. Virginia, however, gave Duke a taste of its own medicine.
The Wahoos outblocked the Blue Devils 16-6 and held Duke to a mere .043 hitting percentage. In addition, Virginia used some of its old tricks, recording eight service aces much like it did in its previous matches with the Blue Devils.
"Virginia did a great job blocking and serving," head coach Jolene Nagel said. "They were able to stop our attack from the beginning, which hurt us. They played with more intensity and stopped us offensively."
The loss knocked the Blue Devils' record below .500, automatically eliminating them from the NCAA tournament. The loss was also the last Duke game for its three seniors: Jami Ediger, Dominique Philipp and Chrissie Lukasiewicz.
"We are graduating three seniors this year who have been great leaders," Nagel said. "It will be a huge loss for us, not only in experience but in the skills they brought to the court."
With the win, Virginia advanced to the semifinials against Clemson, but the Tigers ended the Wahoos' championship hopes with a 3-0 victory.
Note: North Carolina upset top-seeded Clemson yesterday 3-1 to win the tournament.
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