After receiving its third NCAA Tournament bid in as many years, the volleyball team will face the Miami Hurricanes in Madison, Wis., in the first round of the 64-team tournament.
After losing in the second round of last year's tournament, Duke is eager to make the most of this postseason berth.
"We're looking forward to our trip to Madison and to playing Miami," head coach Jolene Nagel said. "We're excited to continue our season."
The Blue Devils posted a 24-9 record this season, including an 11-5 tally in ACC play. Duke finished third in the conference and lost to Georgia Tech in the semifinal round of the ACC Tournament.
Against Miami, Duke will rely heavily on the play of Josie Weymann, who ranked third in the ACC with 350 digs during the regular season.
Weymann, Krista Dill and Katie Gilman were all named to the All-ACC second team this season. Outside hitter Sarah Salem also received postseason accolades, as the Laguna Beach, Calif., native was named to the ACC All-Freshman team.
Miami is making its first NCAA Tournament appearance following the program's restoration in 2001. The Hurricanes finished this season with a 25-5 record, including a 10-3 mark in Big East play. Miami lost to Notre Dame in the final round of the Big East tournament.
The Hurricanes are led by sophomores Valeria Tipiana and Mallorey James, who were recently named Big East player of the year and setter of the year, respectively.
Tipiana's .336 hitting percentage led the Hurricanes, while her 4.83 kills per game ranked second in the conference. James averaged 13.53 assists per game to lead the Big East.
The winner of Friday's contest will face the winner of the Alabama A&M-Wisconsin match Saturday. Wisconsin, the tournament's No. 14 seed, is 23-8 and making its seventh consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.