Although the Blue Devils fell just short of an NCAA tournament berth in 2016, Duke still had a standout back row to keep it in the conversation near the top of the ACC standings.
But that was last year, and that old core defensive line has left, leaving a void that head coach Jolene Nagel and her team must fill if they want to have a chance at the national spotlight.
The Blue Devil defense was nothing to take lightly last fall. Boasting 18.3 digs per set—the best mark in the ACC—as well as 2.4 blocks per set, Duke was a nightmare for teams looking to avoid long rallies. Libero Sasha Karelov was the core of this bulwark, averaging 5.4 digs per set and notching an astonishing 634 digs in her final season. Supplementing the Raleigh, N.C., native in the back row were senior Chloe DiPasquale, with 278 digs to her name last year, and the freshmen duo of setter Cindy Marina and outside hitter Jamie Stivers—both of whom boasted more than 2.5 digs per set.
All four of those players are gone. Karelov and DiPasquale graduated, Stivers left the team and Marina transferred to Southern California. The only real defensive experience the Blue Devils can count on this season comes from senior co-captains Nicole Elattrache and Emma Paradiso, neither of whom were frequent starters in 2016.
“We lost two very vocal leaders—Sasha and Jordan [Tucker]—but Nicole and I complement each other in different ways and we are approachable to the team,” Paradiso said. “We’re trying to get everyone on the same page and create a culture that can be passed on.”
Elattrache returns as the only defensive specialist averaging more than 2.5 digs per set, but only started five matches last season. However, the Los Angeles native’s 104 sets played last year make her the third-most experienced returning player just behind juniors Leah Meyer and Jessi Bartholomew.
Paradiso is the bigger question mark in Duke’s back row. In 2015, Paradiso started in four matches and delivered 107 assists—4.7 per frame. However, the setter spent most of 2016 on the bench, only playing in eight sets all season. Now, as one of the most tenured players on the team, Paradiso must rise to the challenge on and off the court.
“[The seniors] lead in their own way and they walk the walk,” Nagel said. “They have everyone’s best interests in mind and they have our team’s best interests in mind. They can help make sure that that’s the focus of our team—that it’s about our team—and that’s how we need to work every day.”
Although both of the Blue Devils’ seniors will make up the core of the defense, the duo will need to rely on far more than each other if Duke can hope to match last year’s defensive efficiency. Luckily for the Blue Devils, their weekend sweep in Colorado showed some promise.
Senior outside hitter Cadie Bates—who is already emerging as an efficient point-scorer for Duke—posted an impressive 32 digs over the course of three games, even surpassing Elattrache in digs in a five-set thriller Saturday against Central Florida.
Meyer and sophomore outside hitter Samantha Amos can also help on defense in the front row. Meyer contributed 10 block assists and Amos had eight in the Blue Devils’ dramatic win at Colorado State, helping to keep the Rams’ hitters at bay.
Paradiso and Elattrache appear to have also grown into their roles to start the season, with Elattrache tallying 44 digs during the weekend and Paradiso leading the way in assists with 77. If Duke’s seniors can keep their relatively new team together, the Blue Devils may have the potential to make a run to their first NCAA tournament since 2014.
“Our goal is to make it to the NCAA tournament—there are no options—and top three in the ACC,” Elattrache said, “We want to be the best Duke volleyball team and the best team we can be.”
Hank Tucker contributed reporting.
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