There is no ACC tournament in volleyball, but when Duke hosts Wake Forest Tuesday at 7 p.m. in its regular season finale, the match will have the implications of a conference championship.
In order to win the ACC, the Blue Devils (23-8, 14-5 in the ACC) must beat the Demon Deacons, a team they lost to Sept. 30. On top of the win, though, Duke has to get some help from its nemesis-the Blue Devils need North Carolina to lose to lowly N.C. State to surge ahead of their rival atop the ACC standings. The two teams are currently tied for first, but the Tar Heels hold the tiebreaker.
Beating Wake Forest (19-12, 10-9) will be challenging, but Duke is playing some of its best volleyball of the season right now. The Blue Devils beat Virginia Tech Friday and Virginia Saturday, capping off a 10-2 run over the last six weekends.
Duke has won three in a row, starting its streak after losing 3-0 at North Carolina Nov. 13. Since then, though, head coach Jolene Nagel's squad has been unbeatable.
Regardless of their final position in the ACC, the Blue Devils will almost definitely make the NCAA tournament.
Duke will find out if it made its fourth straight appearance when the bracket is released Sunday at 10 p.m.
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