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Sunday, October 12
Winston-Salem, N.C.
12:00 PM
Duke University
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at
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Wake Forest
Duke Sweeps Wake Forest, Secures Ninth Straight Win
10/12/2014 3:22:00 PM | Volleyball
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – No. 22 Duke extended its win streak to nine matches with its second straight conference sweep. Behind a balanced team effort, the Blue Devils defeated Wake Forest 3-0 (25-20, 25-15, 25-15) Sunday afternoon at Reynolds Gym.
“I couldn't be happier for our team because I thought they did a tremendous job of executing today,” said head coach Jolene Nagel. “Historically, Wake Forest has been a really difficult place for us to play. It's certainly a place we knew we could be very vulnerable. Wake is a very talented team, so we knew we had to come ready to play. I'm very glad that our team really took to heart our scouting report and got the rest they needed to execute like we are capable. We didn't give Wake Forest the opportunity to take us out of our rhythm.”
Outside hitter Emily Sklar filled the stat sheet, amassing a match-high 17 kills to go along with 11 digs, four aces and two blocks. Sklar registered her 12th match with 10-plus kills and fourth double-double of the season.
Setter Kelsey Williams dished out 36 assists and picked up 11 digs to also notch a double-double, her third of the 2014 campaign. Williams directed the Duke offense to a .383 hitting percentage as three Blue Devils – Sklar, Jeme Obeime and Jordan Tucker – hit over .400.
Obeime finished with 12 kills on 17 attempts, good for a scalding .588 hitting percentage. Tucker tallied nine kills without an attack error, which translates to a .474 clip. As a team, the Blue Devils have hit over .300 in six of their past seven matches.
“I felt like our offense and our serving got us started,” Nagel said. “Our serve was doing well and our hitters were going after what we wanted to go after.”
Duke's defense was also on point and the Blue Devils limited the Demon Deacons to 31 kills and a .184 hitting percentage. Sunday's match marked the 11th time this season Duke has held its opponent to under .200 hitting.
Outside hitter Jazmen Russell was the lone Demon Deacon to reach double-digit kills with 13. No other Wake Forest player had more than five kills.
“Our block came along as the match went on and that helped our defense,” Nagel added. “Our serve receive initially was a little tight, but we started to relax and control the ball even more.”
The Blue Devils shook off a slow start, which saw Wake Forest win the first four points of the match, to secure a 25-20 decision in the first set. Despite extensive travel the past two weeks, Duke's offense found its rhythm and amassed 21 kills on .447 hitting. The Blue Devils took their first lead at 10-9 following three straight Obeime kills. A 4-1 spurt bolstered by two Whitaker kills then put the Blue Devils on top for good.
“We made a few errors there as we got started, but I feel like we just had to settle in a little bit,” Nagel said. “We did that and started to execute better.”
Duke's offense continued its strong start in the second set as the Blue Devils knocked down 15 kills and committed just one attack error in a 25-15 victory. Up 8-7, the Blue Devils went on a 7-1 run to take control of the frame. Wake Forest was unable to recover and could not trim the lead under seven the rest of the way.
A Sklar kill broke a 4-4 tie to start the third set and Duke did not trail the rest of the way, ultimately clinching the frame, 25-15. Middle blocker Alyse Whitaker recorded five of her career-high seven blocks in the stanza, including back-to-back stops twice in the third set. The Blue Devils turned a slim 11-10 advantage into an insurmountable 24-14 lead. A Whitaker kill, her sixth, sealed the Blue Devil victory.
“The really cool thing about this team is that we have people who have their strengths and they bring them every time we play,” Nagel said. “It's not just the people on the court; our whole bench is involved, too. That's been huge. I feel like this team has good chemistry. They're committed not only to volleyball but also to each other. They've done a good job of working together to prepare and work hard in practice. That's a big piece of our team right now. We have fun together, which helped us survive this stretch we had on the road. I think today says a lot about them and their character.”
After extensive travel the past two weekends, Duke returns home to Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils welcome Virginia Friday, Oct. 17 for a 6:30 p.m. match. Duke then squares off against No. 12 North Carolina Sunday, Oct. 19 at 1 p.m. on ESPNU.
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