To compete: to strive to win. The women's volleyball team (6-12, 2-4 in the ACC) personified the spirit of competition as they went 1-1 this weekend against Clemson (12-8, 2-3) and No. 5 Georgia Tech (18-0, 6-0). Despite the absence of a totally positive outcome, Duke proved itself a competitor in the ACC, refusing to go down quietly against teams superior to it in record.
"It's too early in the season to give teams a rank," head coach Jolene Nagel said. "We're going to do well in the ACC. I was very pleased with how we did and I think this weekend really served as a confidence builder for us."
The Blue Devils showed they were a force to reckon with as they took the Tigers in three games of solid offensive and defensive aggression. In game one, Tassy Rufai served six consecutive points to pull Duke ahead of Clemson, and the Tigers were unable to recover. Clemson continued to force rallies but inevitably crumbled under the aggressive offensive attacks of team captains Krista Dill and Katie Gilman who each tallied 14 kills. Nagel attributed this kind of offensive success to more general strengths the team had exemplified.
"Our communication has continued to improve and our confidence is improving as well," she said.
The Yellow Jackets are arguably the toughest team to beat this season. They have yet to lose a game and while they didn't break this weekend, the Blue Devils gave them a contest instead of an easy win. The Yellow Jackets exploded into the match, out-hitting Duke .333 to .103 in the opening game. But the Blue Devils toughened up in games two and three and found themselves ahead of Georgia Tech at one point and tied at 26 at another. While the Yellow Jackets ultimately persevered, Duke demonstrated their defensive pressure. Junior Stephanie Istvan had a career-high 23 digs, which helped the Blue Devils set up their offense and remain on the heels of one of the nation's top teams.
"[Istvan] is doing a great job on defense," an impressed Nagel said. "She's been keeping us in a lot of rallies and that's let us transition. What she's doing for us as a leader on the court is immeasurable."
This weekend's performances has proven Duke an unexpected ACC threat and Nagel is prepared to use this as a stepping stone for future conquests.
"I'm encouraged by the whole thing," she said. "We continue to get better each match out and that's one of our goals. I think we'll continue to get better and surprise a lot of ACC teams."
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.