Although the Blue Devils won two of their three games this weekend, Duke's sole defeat may have been more important than its pair of wins.
Duke started out the weekend perfect. The Blue Devils swept both West Virginia and Eastern Kentucky, 3-0, Friday and Saturday, respectively, to go into the Penn State Classic's final game on a roll.
Duke (5-1), however, could not continue its momentum against undefeated tournament host Penn State (6-0). The Blue Devils dropped three straight games to the No. 2 Nittany Lions-a loss which ended Duke's undefeated season and unblemished weekend.
The Blue Devils, however, are using the loss to Penn State as a valuable learning experience against one of the nation's top teams.
"It was a great tournament for us to go to," head coach Jolene Nagel said. "We got to see some good teams and play Penn State-who is currently ranked No. 2 in the country. It was a great opportunity and I think we're going to learn tremendously from it.
"I think it's going to be great for our team down the road. It's only going to make us stronger and more mentally tough going into the ACC."
Nagel said the Blue Devils needed to block more effectively in the match against Penn State and moving forward before they begin their ACC schedule.
With the majority of its outside hitters and middle blockers towering over 6-foot-3, Penn State had a significant height advantage over the Blue Devils. The Nittany Lions capitalized on the height difference, ending the game with 16 total team blocks to Duke's one.
"In order for us to block them, we had to make sure we were setting that block right, timing it right," Nagel said. "One thing we need to work on is our blocking and setting that block in particular is something I saw following that match-and also our timing and just working hard in the weight room to be as strong as we can be."
Saturday's battle with Eastern Kentucky (1-4) was composed of three intense, back-and-forth games. Each time, the Blue Devils ultimately gained the upperhand to solidify the win.
Libero Jenny Shull and setter Ali Hausfeld were named to the Penn State Classic All-Tournament Team for their performances this weekend.
Shull anchored the defense with 37 digs over the weekend, while Hausfeld set everything up with 111 assists-including a game-high 41 against Eastern Kentucky.
Sophomore Aana Wherry led the team in two consecutive games with 14 digs, and middle blocker Carrie Demange was the team-leader in kills every match for a grand total of 41 over the weekend.
Nagel said, however, no one player has stood out in particular for the team. Rather, Duke has been progressing and growing as a team, on and off the field.
"I think a lot of people contributed in some great ways," Nagel said. "I think the team is blending very, very well. And that's been a team effort from everybody. I have to give the freshman credit because they are a talented group. And on top of that, the upperclassman have been great about trying to get to know them, trying to help them out-they understand that these players are going to be competitive.
"So I think for our second weekend in competition, it's putting us where we want to be going into our next opportunity to compete out of conference and then into the ACC."
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