Volleyball Dispatches Virginia 3-2

Saturday, October 8

Charlottesville, Va.

7:00 PM

Duke University

Virginia

Volleyball Dispatches Virginia 3-2

10/8/2011 11:06:00 PM | Volleyball

By: Duke Sports Information

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Sophia Dunworth and Christiana Gray posted two of the best performances of their careers and combined for 42 kills as Duke won its second straight five-set road match of the weekend, 3-2 (18-25, 25-21, 24-26, 25-17, 15-10) over Virginia in Memorial Gymnasium.

Dunworth logged career highs with 22 kills and 19 digs while Gray knocked down a career-high 20 kills on a .471 hitting percentage. Their dual 20-kill performances marked the first time since Sept. 8, 2007 that Duke (10-6, 4-3 ACC) had two players post 20 kills in the same match.

Gray hit over .400 for the sixth time in Duke's last seven matches and posted a .517 hitting percentage for the weekend. The 6-5 All-ACC middle blocker tied Dunworth for the team lead with 37 kills as the Blue Devils took down both Virginia Tech and Virginia.

"We're excited to be coming home tonight with a win over UVA," Duke head coach Jolene Nagel said. "They are a good team and will do well in the ACC. We feel very grateful to have gotten these two wins on the road, especially against two tough teams in difficult road environments. Every one of our players out there worked hard for this win.

"This team has constantly been working hard, working together out there, supporting each other and trusting each other in some tense moments where the sets could have gone either way. Just the complete attitude of the team to hang tough, work together, do whatever they needed to to get through it and support each other from the sideline. This was a great team effort."

Amanda Robertson also logged a double-double for the Blue Devils with 13 kills and 13 digs while Gray neared one of her own with a season-high seven blocks. Freshman Jeme Obeime added 10 kills, and Duke hit .293 as a team thanks to All-American setter Kellie Catanach who directed the hitters to more than three times as many kills (77) as attack errors (23).

Duke had trouble containing Virginia's offense early and allowed the Cavaliers to hit .321 over the first three sets. The Blue Devils buckled down when they needed to, however, and forced Virginia into 15 attack errors and a .103 hitting percentage over the last two games which Duke won handedly to secure the victory.

The defensive swing came after Duke took Virginia outside hitter Simone Asque out of the match beginning in set four. Asque amassed 17 kills in the first three sets, but connected on just two of her final 18 swings. Duke's All-ACC libero Ali McCurdy continued her stellar defense with 25 more digs just one night after picking up 32 in Duke's five-set win over Virginia Tech on Friday.

McCurdy, Robertson, Dunworth and Megan Hendrickson were all active in the serving game and rotated as Duke's primary passers to hold the Cavaliers to just five service aces. Sophomore Chelsea Cook came up big on the other end with a crucial service ace in the fifth set that put Duke ahead 13-10 and sparked a match-ending three-point run that included a kill from Dunworth and a match-point block from Gray and Robertson.

"This was a great win for our team as we continue to develop," Nagel said. "We will continue to work hard in practice to keep making strides and getting better. It constantly helps us to know that we have the ability to do that."

Duke returns to Cameron Indoor Stadium next weekend for a pair of ACC matches against Boston College and Maryland on Oct. 14-15. The bout against Boston College on Friday will begin at 4:30 p.m. to precede the Duke Men's Basketball Team's "Countdown to Craziness" season tip-off event. Saturday's match against Maryland will start at 7:30 p.m. shortly after the conclusion of the Duke football team's home game against Florida State which starts at 3 p.m.

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