Don't let Rachael Moss' sweet demeanor fool you-the freshman is a well-oiled, killing machine.
With 205 kills so far this season, Moss is second only to junior Carrie DeMange, with 259, on the Duke squad and ranks fifth in the ACC with 3.87 kills per game.
The outside hitter is an all-around threat to the opposition. While she strategically slams down kill after kill in the frontcourt, she also overwhelms teams with her jump-serve from behind the line.
In the backcourt, Moss' intensity does not let up. She has earned 228 digs so far-the second highest total on the team. A regular in the starting rotation, the highly-recruited freshman is smart and consistently plays at a high-level.
"The thing that's so great about her is she's versatile," sophomore Sue Carls said. "She's always keeping other teams guessing. The fact that she has so many weapons only opens up everyone else on our team. She's great in the back row-she makes the most amazing saves. And her serve is unbelievable. I've never seen anything like it."
She may be a versatile player, but Moss' most distinguishing feature is her attacking power on offense.
Her jump serve-one of her self-described strengths-gives the Blue Devils an offensive edge. Tied for first on the team with 21 service aces, Moss ranks sixth in the ACC with 0.40 service aces per game.
The freshman keeps her composure and focus behind the line-even in high-pressure games-by putting herself mentally into an even more intense situation.
"I pretend that I'm in a gold medal round for the Olympics," Moss said. "I like to pretend that China's on the other side or something and what I would do in that situation-I would serve it as hard as I could.. When I go up to kill, I usually don't think, I just say 'hit hard' and that's less of a cognitive process, but my serving is more mental."
Physically, Moss' overpowering serve is a hybrid of a volleyball jump serve and skills learned from years of playing high-level tennis. Head coach Jolene Nagel said Moss derives her serving prowess from a combination of technique, skill and raw power, mixed with fine-tuned ball control.
"Her serve, when she gets it going, is an offensive threat for us before the rest of the team even has to touch the ball," Nagel said. "I always want her to be very aggressive and go after it with her serve because it can be so lethal."
Having played against Moss in high school and club teams, fellow Southern California native Carls knows first-hand what it is like to try to return one of Moss' serves. She has even created a pun stemming from the freshman's last name to show what an opposing team would be feeling post-Moss.
"I could not be happier that we are on the same side of the court now," Carls said. "I like to say when she gets a huge ace, 'Hey, no Más.'"
Moss came to the Blue Devils as a highly-touted recruit with high-level game experience under her belt. She said she ultimately chose Duke over Yale and Georgetown because of the balance of great academics and athletics.
In high school, she was a member of an elite club team that won two Junior Olympic championships. This summer, she played on a Southern California regional club team that traveled to Europe, Italy, Slovenia and Austria-where they played the Italy Junior National team.
The exposure to European sports agents in that tournament was especially exciting for the freshman, as she hopes to play volleyball in Europe for several years after graduation before continuing on to law school.
This experience and maturity will be important for Moss and the Blue Devils down the road. The team recently earned its first No. 25 national ranking since 1994 and are focused on beginning the second half of its ACC schedule.
"It's her all-round game that makes her such an impact player for us," Nagel said. "It's only going to become more evident as we get into the second half of the ACC schedule."
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