Bogged down recently by a packed conference schedule, the volleyball team has not dominated its competition the way it once appeared possible.
When the Blue Devils started out the season like a buzzsaw, it did not appear as if a weekend like this one could have occurred.
Nevertheless, a lot changes when a team is waist-deep in conference play against opponents that would like nothing more than to humiliate Duke within its own fabled Cameron Indoor Stadium.
In a matchup of ACC heavyweights Friday, Georgia Tech (14-4, 5-1 in the ACC) did just that, handing Duke (14-5, 4-2) its first home loss of the season.
"We absolutely did not come out to play," junior Ashley Harris said. "We came out scared of losing, and we played like that. This was not our best effort at all."
The Yellow Jackets, spurred on by three players with double-digit kills, absolutely dominated the match, winning three games to none. The Blue Devils never even got close, losing the games 15-6, 15-4, and 15-7.
An extraordinarily high hitting percentage largely accounted for Georgia Tech's domination. While the Yellow Jackets cruised to a .315 hitting percentage, including .484 in the second game, Duke could barely muster up a scrawny .107 mark.
When the Blue Devils hit the court again Saturday night against Florida State (13-7, 2-4), they looked like a team seeking vengeance. Jumping out to a bruising 11-4 lead in the first game, Duke appeared as if it was going to exorcise its demons from the previous evening's thrashing.
Nevertheless, the squad's trademark inconsistency reemerged. As the Blue Devils entered sleep-walk mode, the Seminoles, led by punishing junior Norisha Campbell, quickly capitalized. Duke's 11-4 lead quickly turned into a 19-17 loss.
"We must learn not to ease up late in games," Harris said. "We get these big leads, then we just relax. It's a frustrating trend."
After such a collapse in the first game, one might think that Duke would be unable to reenergize itself emotionally. However, in the team's true style, Duke then proceeded to smoke the Seminoles 15-4 and 15-8 in the second and third games.
FSU rallied in the fourth game to take the match into the decisive fifth. Denying the Seminoles the pleasure of a rare victory at Cameron, the Blue Devils played the fifth game to the height of their capabilities. Duke truly staged inspired, above-the-net volleyball, seizing the game 15-8 and the match three games to two.
"Tonight was another wild one," coach Jolene Nagel said. "It proved that we can play together as a team. We took yet another important step in our growing process. As we mature, we will achieve more consistency and we will be able to take advantage of all opportunities."
Nagel will have the chance to reassess her team's standing when it meets Virginia Tech tomorrow night for a home match at Cameron.
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