While the Packers drove in four touchdowns in Lambeau Field, Wisconsin's women's volleyball team was busy taking care of their own business this weekend. The Blue Devils (4-4) struggled through a competitive InnTower Invitational, falling to Big Ten powers Iowa 2-3 and Wisconsin 3-1.
"We played with a great effort, passion and determination," Duke's head coach Jolene Nagel said. "I think we grew as a team and we played smart volleyball against tough opponents."
In Friday night's matchup against the Hawkeyes (4-4), the Blue Devils' momentum was up and down until their energy gave out in the fifth game for a heartbreaking loss. After the first game, it appeared that Duke was en route to maintaining the intensity it showed off in its last contest against East Carolina.
Duke outhit Iowa 29.3 percent to seven percent to earn a quick 30-21 victory in the first game. However, the Hawkeyes battled back in game two to tie the match as they did again in game four. An exhausted Blue Devils squad finally broke down in energy in game five dropping 15-12.
"We were disappointed with our performance Friday night," a melancholy Nagel admitted. "We played really well in game one. We played well in moments throughout the match but made errors at crucial moments that Iowa was able to act on."
Things did not get any easier for Duke Saturday afternoon as they went up against Wisconsin (8-2), who boasts a No. 25 ranking and the home-court advantage. The Badgers dominated the first two games leaving the Blue Devils chasing after tough offensive attacks. And while the Cheeseheads appeared to be well on their way to a clean sweep, Duke battled back for a come-from-behind victory of 30-25. The Blue Devils once again had turned to their power hitter and middle blocker Krista Dill who reached 1,000 career kills during the match. Wisconsin resumed their dominance in the fourth game, though, and took the match 3-1.
"These long weekends are positive for getting a lot of the girls playing time and for conditioning as a team," Nagel said. "But they can also be very draining. Luckily, we have a lot of players and a number of combinations we can utilize but some combinations will work better than others."
The next of these "draining" weekends is just a few days away. Friday, Duke will be on the road again as they take on Santa Clara, South Carolina and George Washington in the Gamecock Invite.
"We need to take this year one week at a time and one match at a time," Nagel said. "We continue to grow as a team but we're not playing cupcake teams. The team has to understand that playing tough teams is only going to make us better for the ACC."
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