Sportswrap is your one-stop shop for everything Duke athletics, where we’ll recap how each of Duke’s sports currently in competition performed over the last week and give a brief look ahead. Here’s our recap for the week of Oct. 9-15:
Football
Coming off the bye week, the now-16th-ranked Blue Devils faced an interesting challenge, welcoming in-state rival N.C. State to Wallace Wade Stadium for the first time since 2013 Saturday night. To make matters worse, Duke (5-1, 2-0 in the ACC) was missing star quarterback Riley Leonard, who remains out with a high ankle sprain. Despite this, head coach Mike Elko’s squad was dominant, dismantling the Wolfpack 24-3 behind solid play from backup quarterback Henry Belin IV and elite defensive efforts. Next up, Duke will travel to face Florida State in a highly anticipated matchup between ACC foes Saturday evening. -Caleb Dudley
Men’s soccer
It was an undefeated week at home for the Blue Devils, who opened Tuesday evening with a 3-0 win against Elon and followed it up with a 2-1 Friday night victory against N.C. State. The win against the Phoenix was an offensively dominant one, as the Blue Devils (8-3-1, 3-3) outshot Elon 20-6 and midfielder Luke Thomas picked up a goal and an assist. The other game was tighter, but still a solid win for Duke. The Blue Devils controlled the run of play against the Wolfpack, but fell victim to the counterattack to give up a goal. Duke will head to Pittsburgh next, taking on the Panthers in its last road regular-season match Saturday at 7 p.m.. -Martin Heintzelman
Women’s soccer
After No. 23 Duke pulled off a last-minute tie against then-No. 1 North Carolina the weekend prior, it seemed as though the tide might be turning in the Blue Devils’ favor. Then, No. 7 Clemson came to town, and Duke’s hopes were dashed. The Tigers earned a 1-0 victory against the Blue Devils (5-5-3, 1-1-3) off a penalty kick conversion in the 29th minute after sophomore Elle Piper gave up a handball in the box. Clemson’s Makenna Morris put the ball away despite keeper Leah Freeman nearly making the stop. With the postseason largely out of the picture, Duke heads to Virginia Tech Thursday in search of a win before a home clash with Florida State Sunday. -Mackenzie Sheehy
Field hockey
Currently ranked No. 2 in the country, Duke bested Louisville Friday afternoon 2-1 courtesy of another key goal from junior Logan Clouser. Sophomore Alaina McVeigh also scored for the 13th time this season, helping the Blue Devils (13-2, 5-1) to yet another victory. However, in a two-overtime thriller Sunday afternoon, the Blue Devils fell to No. 8 Virginia 2-1. This was Duke's first loss since Sept. 3 against No. 1 Northwestern, and it will look to rebound as it takes on UConn Sunday afternoon for senior night. -Anna Newberry
Cross country
The Blue Devils competed in two meets this weekend, with the women taking part in the Nuttycombe Invitational in Wisconsin Friday and the men at the 2023 Pre-Nationals in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday. Amina Maatoug once again led the women with her 11th-place finish among a stacked field, with the rest of Duke’s contingent combining to finish 21st. The men finished 11th, with graduate student Sam Rivera’s 60th-place race the best among the group. Up next for the Blue Devils are the ACC championships in Tallahassee, Fla., Oct. 27. -Andrew Long
Volleyball
Duke made an ACC trip up north this week, facing off against Boston College and Syracuse. The Blue Devils (12-7, 3-5) lost a marathon match to the Eagles Friday, their third-straight five-set match against them, despite leading the game in almost every statistical category. While Madison Bryant recorded a career-high 28 digs, Duke lost the fifth and final set 15-13.. Duke then traveled to play the Orange Sunday, sweeping them 3-0 behind a strong front-row performance led by defensive efforts from Kerry Keefe, Rylie Kadel, Gracie Johnson, Lizzie Fleming and Jess Robinson. Multiple bench players contributed to the win as well, with strong play in the final set led by Georgia Stavrinides and Taylor Atkinson. Next, Duke continues its road slate with games against Georgia Tech Friday at 7 p.m. and Clemson Sunday at 1 p.m. -Suresh Kannoth
Men’s golf
At the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate in Alpharetta, Ga., this weekend, the Blue Devils finished a respectable fifth and 12-under par. Kelly Chinn and Luke Sample were Duke’s pacesetters, with the former finishing in 14th at -4 and the latter logging a monster -5 final day to boost his team in the standings. The Blue Devils will have a couple weeks rest before traveling up the road to Greensboro, N.C., for the Bryan National Collegiate starting Oct. 29. -Long
Women’s golf
Duke took part in the loaded Jackson T. Stephens Cup in Dallas early this week, finishing seventh among a field featuring numerous top-25 opponents at a net +2. Anne Chen, Andie Smith, Emma McMyler and Phoebe Brinker were the standouts for the Blue Devils, taking up places 22-24 on the individual end, headlined by Chen’s -3 final day. Up next is a trip to nearby Wilmington, N.C., for the Landfall Tradition Oct. 27. -Long
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