As parents begin to arrive on campus, the Blue Devils are preparing to greet two more guests in a jam-packed weekend.
But their 7 p.m. Friday encounter with Maryland and 7 p.m. Saturday tilt with Boston College at Cameron Indoor Stadium will be more pressure-packed than the typical family gathering.
"This is our midway point for the whole year, so it'll be a big boost to us if we can make it over the humps more or less with some wins," senior Aana Wherry said. "We're in a pretty good position right now to do some damage for the rest of the season."
Duke (15-6, 6-3 in the ACC) has not lost to the Terrapins since 2005 and remains undefeated all-time against the Eagles (6-15, 0-9). But if the Blue Devils hope to achieve back-to-back wins, as they did last weekend, they will have to play to their fullest potential, head coach Jolene Nagel said.
"I don't want to give [our opponents] anything to fuel their fire," she said, adding that controlling the ball will be crucial in both matches.
In the match against Maryland, the Blue Devils have to account for two factors: a new coach in Tim Horsmon and a deep roster, although that depth has not translated to victories yet this season.
The Terrapins (5-16, 1-8) have lost their last eight contests.
"They had a coaching change, so they are a little different," Nagel said. "They have some flexibility in how they line up.... It's not like it's the same six people all of the time."
Although Boston College's coaching staff has not changed, Nagel said Duke will have to stand up to players that may have picked up their game in recent weeks.
She added that it will be important for the Blue Devils to control the tempo of the game against the Eagles.
"They dig a lot of balls, and will work hard on the defensive end of things," Nagel said. "We've got to make sure to take care of the ball when it's on our side."
In seven of the last eight contests, Duke has not allowed its opponents' hitting averages to rise above .200.
Wherry said although Maryland and Boston College are not as highly ranked as some of Duke's previous opponents, the team is still stressing efficiency and communication in the weekend doubleheader.
"I look for both matches to be very important for us and critical to our season," Nagel said.
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