The Duke volleyball team continued its winning ways Tuesday night as the Blue Devils defeated Wake Forest 3-0 for their fourth straight ACC victory.
Middle blockers Jourdan Norman and Carrie DeMange each had 14 kills, and sophomore setter Ali Hausfeld added 44 assists to her ACC-leading total of 660. The 14 kills were a career high for Norman, a freshman from Carrollton, Texas.
The Blue Devils jumped out to an early lead in Game 1, prompting a Wake Forest timeout with Duke up 10-4. The Demon Deacons then took advantage of five Blue Devil attack errors to tie the game at 13. But Norman and DeMange took over, each recording five kills as Duke took the first game, 30-23.
"Early on we were covering too tightly," Duke head coach Jolene Nagel said. "We weren't communicating smoothly and we allowed Wake Forest to take advantage."
The Blue Devils set the tone for the rest of the match with their strong play in the first few points of the second game. Outside hitter Tealle Hunkus recorded two kills to propel Duke to a 5-1 lead.
"I told them to remember what we did in the first game that worked for us and that Wake would come out harder the second time," Nagel said.
The Blue Devils (10-3, 4-1 in the ACC) easily won Game 2, 30-17, as Wake Forest (8-6, 1-4) struggled to keep up with the Duke attack. Norman continued her onslaught with 4 more kills, as the Demon Deacon defense had no answer.
"I had been working hard in practice all week on my transitions, and just being able to move faster," said Norman, who also tied for the team high with 5 blocks.
Nagel has also been pleased with Norman's effort and quick adjustment to the college game.
"Things are a little bit faster at this level, and I've seen her progress since we've started," she said. "This certainly hasn't happened overnight, but she's done a great job with blocking, as well as on the offensive end."
The efforts of Norman and DeMange notwithstanding, defense drove Duke to its win, as the team recorded 56 digs and 15 blocks.
"The defense was the reason our offense was so effective tonight," Nagel said. "Every coach will tell you that defense wins games. I have a real passion for blocking and defense, so I absolutely want my team playing like that."
Game 3 went according to plan for the Blue Devils, as the Demon Deacons never really threatened, and Duke thwarted every Wake Forest mini-rally.
"In our huddles we just focused on who their best hitters were and how to defend them," Norman said.
The Blue Devils take their four game winning streak to Charlottesville, Va. to take on Virginia Friday night. The Cavaliers, coming off a 3-0 win over Virginia Tech Tuesday, are 3-2 in the ACC.
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