Volleyball season ends with loss to USC in NCAAs

After winning its first NCAA tournament game in six years, the Duke volleyball team (23-5) faltered to perennial powerhouse Southern California Trojans (24-3) Saturday night. The Blue Devils played without key outside hitter Ashley Harris, who fractured her wrist in a practice before the match.

"I think USC played well," Duke coach Jolene Nagel said. "I think we played well at times, but we didn't sustain the level of play necessary to beat a really good team like that."

Starting with the first whistle Saturday, Duke seemed inferior to its opponents. Every point was well earned by USC, but a quick run by the Trojans put the Blue Devils in a hole they could never overcome. After a short mental lapse in game one, Duke outside hitter Keao Burdine, who had 13 kills, dominated the game with her impressive hitting while the Trojans jumped ahead 15-8 early in the game. USC setter Tracy Lindquist gave her team another lift in the latter stages of the first game with her blistering jump-serve that put Duke at a disadvantage on several points. This did not bode well for Nagel's Blue Devils, who lost game one 30-18 and did not look as cohesive without Harris on the court.

"I think anytime someone has played from freshman year until now is out of the game, we really will miss her," Nagel said about Harris' absence. "We missed her leadership, her abilities, and just having her out on the floor."

The second game was strikingly similar to the first, but this time, a different outside hitter for the Trojans stepped up her game. Alicia Robinson, a freshman who hit for 13 kills, smashed several kills down the line and crosscourt, keeping the Blue Devil defense on its heels for most of the game. With the score in favor of USC 28-19, USC middle-blocker Jennifer Pahl smoked a ball toward Duke's Jill Sonne and hit her in the chest. This play typified the match Saturday, as the Blue Devils were constantly one step behind the Trojans. After winning the next point, USC took a two-game lead into the locker room for a short intermission before the third game.

Duke was able to play slightly better in the third game, but USC's superior defense and consistent hitting left the Blue Devils with a problem they could not solve. On back-to-back plays, Trojan middle-blocker Katie Olsovsky had blocks that demoralized Duke and put Southern Cal ahead 16-9. Dorrette Burwell, a senior outside hitter, led Duke with 13 kills, and seemed to be one of the few Blue Devils who was playing up to the Trojans' level. The match finished with a 30-22 win in game three by USC, who advances to the next round of the NCAA tournament.

"We've gotten a taste of what its like to play in the NCAA tournament, and that will help us next year," Burwell said. "It was definitely a big step but not the biggest step we wanted to take. We wanted to play better."

The Blue Devils took a big step in the right direction this year, winning the ACC regular-season championship and winning a game in the NCAA tournament. Next year, they return four starters and hope to work some freshmen into the lineup. This season may have ended in a loss for the Duke volleyball team, but the Blue Devils often looked like winners this year.