CHAPEL HILL - If Duke had known it would hold North Carolina to a .139 hitting percentage Thursday in the Dean E. Smith Center, the Blue Devils likely would have been confident about their chances to surge into outright possession of first place in the ACC.
If Duke had also known, however, that it would finish with a .093 hitting percentage, those hopes would have been quickly dashed.
The Blue Devils (20-8, 11-5 in the ACC) hit under the .100 percentage mark for the first time since 2005 and the Tar Heels (18-9, 12-4) took advantage in their 3-0 victory, bumping Duke's nemesis into the top position in the league.
"Carolina played a great match tonight," Duke head coach Jolene Nagel said. "They dug a ton of balls, and I feel like we didn't execute like we're capable of. We lacked strong communication, and that's one of the key ingredients we need to be successful."
All three sets were close-the Blue Devils lost by two points in the first and second, and by four in the third-but in the end, North Carolina simply had too much.
Duke returns to the court Friday at 7 p.m. against N.C. State in Raleigh.
-with reporting from Zachary Tracer
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