It seemed like this weekend’s Blue Raider Bash should have been called the Blue Devil Bash.
Duke (5-1) came away from the Murphy Center in Murfreesboro, Tenn., with three straight victories against its opponents Middle Tennessee, Auburn and Georgia Southern last Friday and Saturday.
“We played a very strong opponent [Middle Tennessee] Friday night on their home court, and our team played really well,” head coach Jolene Nagel said. “We executed like we practice to do all the time, and everything just seemed to come together and we competed hard.”
After the Blue Devils faced the Blue Raiders, they had two back-to-back matches Saturday—the first against SEC competitor Auburn (5-2) and the second only two-and-a-half hours later versus Georgia Southern (2-4) in a match that went into five sets.
“It was great that we were able to beat [Auburn] in three. It was a very competitive match and the games were very close,” Nagel said. “Since we had two matches, we had to turn it around a couple of hours later, and that took us to five games, but the players really came out and did the job that they needed to in game five. The team gained great experience in difficult situations, and I think it was a real developing weekend for us and a learning weekend for us.”
On Saturday alone, senior Becci Burling and junior Sophia Dunworth combined for 45 kills, and freshman libero Ali McCurdy posted 42 digs to aid the Blue Devils in their two straight victories against Auburn, 3-0, and Georgia Southern, 3-2.
“It was nice having the opportunity to play the games we did, and obviously winning everything is a good outcome, but I think we learned a lot from it as a team, like what we really need to focus on and how we need to play,” McCurdy said. “I know that with traveling, you can get physically and mentally worn out, and I think that having two matches in one day was a good test for the team, to just prepare us for the season and to focus on each match at a time rather than stress about having two matches in a day.”
With five wins under its belt, Duke next faces Charlotte in Cameron Indoor Stadium at 7 p.m. Tuesday, when the team hopes to battle fatigue from this weekend and continue its five-game winning streak.
“I hope our team can get enough rest because it was a really grueling weekend, but this is a great opportunity to play together in a competitive setting against an opponent other than ourselves,” Nagel said. “This gives us a chance to see where we are and gives us a chance to see where we need to develop more.”
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