One more win separates Duke from an outright ACC championship.
The No. 15 Blue Devils defeated N.C. State in four sets, 25-20, 25-14, 20-25, 25-18 Wednesday at Cameron Indoor Stadium, and can secure the league's automatic berth to the NCAA tournament with a win Friday against North Carolina.
After a dominant second-set performance, Duke faltered in the third set, committing nine attack errors and hitting just .091, but was able to regroup to win the fourth set and the match.
"We're really happy to get this win today," Duke head coach Jolene Nagel said. "I felt like our team was playing well enough most of the time to get it, but I certainly felt like we gave away a few points that we shouldn't have and made our jobs a little bit harder."
Duke (26-4, 17-2 in the ACC) did what it has done in every match following a loss this season: win. After Sunday's loss at Florida State, the importance of getting off to a quick start was not lost on the Blue Devils, who responded by winning the first two sets—the second in convincing fashion.
"We knew we needed to come out strong," senior libero Ali McCurdy said. After the loss at FSU, we knew we needed to work hard recovering from that loss. And on top of that, losing last time at [N.C.] State we had something to prove, so it was good to come out and get this win."
Duke racked up some gaudy statistics in all phases of the game Wednesday. Sophomore outside hitter Emily Sklar turned in an excellent two-way performance, recording her fourth double-double in the past five games by posting 21 kills and 19 digs. Sophomore Elizabeth Campbell had 14 kills and Jeme Obeime put down 11 to join Sklar in double figures, and senior Chelsea Cook added eight more.
"We did a really good job of scouting and looking for things that were open," Sklar said. "Once we found things that worked in the beginning, we kept going after it and I don't think they really adjusted."
On the defensive side of the ball, Duke was equally impressive. The Blue Devils limited the Wolfpack (20-11, 11-8) to 38 kills for the match, amassing 88 digs and 10 blocks. McCurdy, the ACC's all-time leader in digs, tied her career high with 37 digs, diving left and right to keep rallies alive and set up opportunities for her teammates on offense.
The Duke defense also did a good job bottling up N.C. State's leading offensive threat, outside hitter Dariyan Hopper. When the Wolfpack defeated the Blue Devils in Raleigh Oct. 13, Hopper burned Duke for 18 kills on 31 attempts. Wednesday, the sophomore was kept in check, as the Blue Devils held her to just four kills on 45 attempts.
"We definitely knew we had to try to contain her to be successful today because she definitely had a great match against us [in October]," Nagel said. "I was pleased how our team executed on the block and on defense with that. That was definitely huge in trying to get this win."
Not all the numbers were pretty, though. The Blue Devils committed 28 attack errors en route to a .186 attack percentage, one of their lowest of the season. At times Duke also struggled behind the service line, adding six errors to go with the eight aces. Nagel said the team would revisit attack errors in practice, with an emphasis on discipline and adjusting feet to the ball.
Errors will have to be at a minimum Friday afternoon when Duke looks to wrap up the conference championship on Senior Day against No. 14 North Carolina. For McCurdy, one of two seniors on the Duke roster, the match will have additional meaning beyond its implications in the ACC title race.
"Everything couldn't be better," McCurdy said. "It's not going to be a matter of finding energy and emotion for that game. It's awesome that it's North Carolina, in-state rival, for our last time playing in Cameron. We're all looking forward to it."
With the win, Nagel said her team will be able to enjoy their Thanksgiving meal a little more, but she expects them to be ready to go on Friday against the Tar Heels.
"We've got to be sure we don't eat too much tomorrow for Thanksgiving, and then we've got to make sure we've got the right focus going into that match," Nagel said.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.