Blue Devils Open 2011 With 3-1 Win Over Furman

Friday, August 26

Durham, N.C.

7:00 PM

Duke University

Furman

Duke Hands No. 17 Florida State First ACC Loss

Blue Devils Open 2011 With 3-1 Win Over Furman

8/26/2011 10:03:00 PM | Volleyball

By: Duke Sports Information

DURHAM, N.C. -- Megan Hendrickson and All-America setter Kellie Catanach posted double-doubles and five Blue Devils finished with double-digit kills as the 17^th-ranked Duke volleyball team upended Furman 3-1 (23-25, 25-23, 25-20, 25-15) on Friday night in the season opener at the Duke Invitational.

The match drew over 2,000 spectators to Cameron Indoor Stadium as members of Duke's freshman class packed the arena for New Devils Night.

Catanach, the reigning ACC Player of the Year, directed a Blue Devil offense that hit .301 and saw five players, including Hendrickson and freshman Jeme Obeime, post 10 or more kills. Catanach dished out 51 assists and added 11 digs and three blocks for her first double-double of the year.

Obeime, in her first career match, tied her senior classmate Amanda Robertson for the team lead with 13 kills while taking 30 attacks and playing in all four sets. She had a team-high seven kills in a momentum-swinging third-set victory as the Blue Devils rallied from an opening 25-23 loss in game one to win three straight for the victory.

Duke's defense, led by libero Ali McCurdy's 24 digs and 6-5 middle blocker Christiana Gray's four blocks, held Furman to a .154 hitting percentage. The Paladins had trouble hitting past Duke's towering front of Gray, Robertson, Catanach and Sophia Dunworth and hit into 10 blocks, including two solo stops from Robertson and one each from Hendrickson and Obeime. When Furman managed to sneak past the Duke blocks, McCurdy and defensive specialist Nailah Waterfield were there to keep the play alive and combined for 36 of Duke's 74 digs.

Furman used outside hitter Chandler Ambrester heavily, giving her 60 swings throughout the match. The junior outside hitter led the team with 16 kills, but she hit just .060 for the match as Duke locked down over the final two games and allowed her just five kills on her final 27 attacks.

Duke had a chance to take the opening set after clawing back to tie the game at 21-21, but the Paladins held off the late rally to win 25-23. Furman went to Ambrester early and often, sending a set-high 18 attacks her way which she converted into six kills. Kelly Kirby split duties as a setter and a hitter for the Paladins, contributing eight assists, three kills and seven digs as Furman libero Carolyn Nicoletti frustrated the Duke defense into a .111 hitting percentage.

The Paladins jumped out to an early lead again in the second set, but could not hold Duke down for long as the Blue Devils surged late to claim a 25-23 win. Furman led by as much as four points at 21-17, but Duke hit .412 with just two attack errors for the match. With Duke trailing 22-19, Hendrickson got the ball back in Duke's hands with a kill and then served three straight points that resulted in successive kills from Gray and Obeime that put Duke on top 23-22. Furman tied the match at 23-23, but Gray and Catanach teamed up for a crucial block to set up Dunworth for the match-point kill. Dunworth was nearly flawless in that frame, finishing 5-for-6 with no errors in that set.

The Blue Devils stayed hot in set three, hitting an even .500 with 20 kills and just three errors to win 25-20 and take a 2-1 match lead. Catanach dished out 18 assists, Obeime and Hendrickson combined for 12 kills and McCurdy and Waterfield frustrated the Paladins by keeping several plays alive.

Duke cruised in the fourth set, leading by as much as nine points thanks to a five-kill effort from Robertson and eight digs apiece from Catanach and McCurdy. Furman hit .000 in the final game as McCurdy's floor defense and the blocking of Dunworth, Robertson and Gray kept the Paladin offense in check.

Duke will play two matches on Saturday, beginning with a 10 a.m. showdown against Charleston Southern in the morning and concluding with the premier match of the Duke Invitational at 7 p.m. when the Blue Devils face the Wisconsin Badgers.

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