The volleyball team is certainly ready for a homecoming. The Blue Devils will return to Cameron Indoor Stadium tonight after playing their last four games away from Duke. The Blue Devils capped off a 1-3 road swing Oct. 16 with a 3-0 loss at Maryland.
"Just to have the team be able to sleep in their own beds and catch up on some work will be great," head coach Jolene Nagel said. "I knew that travel early in our season in the ACC would be very difficult, and it definitely was for everybody...we're very excited about coming home and having the opportunity to play people on our own turf."
The Blue Devils have played well at Cameron Indoor Stadium this season, winning all six home contests. Duke (11-6, 5-4 in the ACC) will put its unblemished home record on the line against Florida State tonight at 7 p.m. The Seminoles, (5-12, 3-6) are 2-6 away from Tully Gymnasium and have failed to win consecutive matches this season.
The numbers are certainly in Duke's favor, but mistakes and inconsistent play on the road forced coach Nagel to work on a number of things in practice Tuesday before concentrating on the visiting Seminoles.
"We did begin to talk about Florida State," Nagel said. "But we basically tried to work on our game a little bit. I think we can work on consistency in practice."
Though playing on the road is no excuse for mistakes, it certainly affects player performance. Nagel said the ACC has some of the nation's toughest volleyball venues and that she hopes Duke fans will help provide a similar atmosphere.
Though playing in opposing arenas is difficult, traveling takes an even bigger toll on the team. During the Blue Devils' last road trip, the team flew to Boston for its match with Boston College Oct. 14 and then flew to Maryland for its match Oct. 16 at College Park. Weather in Boston slowed travel for the team, providing little time to study for midterm exams.
"You try to find the best place for [the team] to stay," Nagel said. "But it's not like being at home."
Beginning with tonight's match against the Seminoles, the Blue Devils will play eight of their next 11 contests at home. Even the three road matches are at nearby North Carolina, N.C. State and Wake Forest.
Coach Nagel is 11-2 against the Seminoles in her seven-year tenure at Duke including a 3-2 victory last year in Tallahassee, Fla. Despite her team's dominance over Florida State, Nagel remained cautious.
"All the teams are so competitive in the ACC so you can't afford to play badly and be able to win," Nagel said. "You need to be able to play your best every night."
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