The Blue Devils kept pace with North Carolina atop the ACC this weekend, winning two matches to propel Duke into a tie for first place in the league. And while the two teams split their matches this season, the Tar Heels hold the tiebreaker, as they won four sets to Duke's three in the two meetings.
Duke (23-8, 14-5 in the ACC), however, has proven its ability to overcome adversity and win close matches all season. It proved itself once again Friday against Virginia Tech, and it could do so again in the upcoming weeks when postseason play begins.
The Blue Devils won the win-by-two fifth set 22-20 in a game up to 15 to top the Hokies (20-10, 11-8) 3-2. Junior outside hitter Rachael Moss, who posted another double-double with 12 kills and 18 digs, paced the squad in the win over one of the ACC's mid-level teams in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
"We were playing really well in spots, but Virginia Tech was being very aggressive, blocking a lot of balls and digging a lot of balls," head coach Jolene Nagel said. "They played a great game and they gave us fits."
Cameron was more festive Saturday, when the Blue Devils not only swept Virginia, but also decorated the gym and locker room to honor their seniors. Duke's seniors were presented with flowers and autographed memory books with words of support and encouragement from the fans and teammates.
Still, Duke struggled in the opening set with a disappointing hitting percentage of .098, from 15 kills and 10 errors. The momentum from the senior night celebration helped the Blue Devils pick up the energy toward the end of the first set as they came from behind to win 26-24. Virginia struggled in the second set, as Duke dominated the court from the start, winning 25-15 and posting 17 kills with only five errors.
"The team really felt like they needed to play with a lot more intensity and energy," Nagel said. "There wasn't a whole lot of that out there on the court in the first set. I think they did a great job of trying to get everything back together on the court and on the sideline in the second set."
After the 10-minute intermission, Virginia (16-15, 8-11) regained some of its composure and kept the final set close. Senior outside hitter and middle blocker Sue Carls rose to the occasion in the third set, posting a hitting percentage of .385 with seven kills and only two errors. The Blue Devils were able to hold off Virginia and win the final set 25-21.
Having won twice, Duke has put itself in a position to not only vie for the ACC crown, but also jockey for NCAA tournament position. Everything, though, is contingent on Duke's final regular season match at home against Wake Forest Tuesday at 7 p.m.
"Losing to Wake Forest would compromise us a little and we don't want to do that," Nagel said. "It would make the road to the finals a lot more difficult."
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