Fresh off a 6-0 thumping over Clemson, it would appear that No. 11 Duke could cruise right into the postseason with just two games remaining.
But with a marquee win still missing and teams still jockeying for ACC tournament positioning, the remaining contests could be the most crucial in determining just how far the Blue Devils go this postseason.
On Thursday night, Duke (12-3-2, 4-2-2 in the ACC) begins a short yet critical stretch as it faces off against No. 8 Virginia (12-3-1, 6-2) at 7 p.m. in Klockner Stadium.
A win, combined with another victory against Virginia Tech Sunday afternoon, could give the Blue Devils third place in the conference, which would guarantee that they would not face likely No. 1 seed North Carolina until the championship game at the earliest.
"We've been in this place before," head coach Robbie Church said. "Everybody knows if you're in that four or five slot, you're going to get Carolina. But there are so many good teams in that league, it's hard to pick and choose who you want to play."
Duke has one right in front of it in the Cavaliers, who have only lost one home contest this year, when they fell to the Tar Heels 5-1 last Friday. Beating Virginia would give the Blue Devils just their second win in six tries against ranked opponents this season and their first victory against the Cavaliers since 2004, when they defeated Virginia 3-0 in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Church said that his team did match up well with the Cavaliers, however, and with his seniors down to their last few games, he feels they will help the team continue its momentum into postseason play.
"They're only guaranteed four more games in their career," Church said. "It does get a little scary, but right now the whole team's in good spirits."
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