Duke falls to NC State, 3-1

Sunday, September 27

Raleigh, N.C.

1 p.m.

Duke University

9-3,1-1ACC

NC State

10-3,1-1ACC

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Duke	18	22	25	21	1
NC State	25	25	20	25	3

Ashby Zubchevich Attacks Against NC State on Sept. 27

Duke falls to NC State, 3-1

9/27/2026 4:48:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

RALEIGH, N.C. – Duke volleyball dropped its first conference match of the season Sunday afternoon, falling to NC State 3-1 (25-18, 25-22, 20-25, 25-21) inside Reynolds Coliseum.

Duke (9-3, 1-1 ACC) battled all day but couldn't slow down the NC State (10-3, 1-1 ACC) offense. The Blue Devils had just three blocks.

Nataly Moravec put together another strong showing, leading all players with 21 kills. As a team, Duke hit .198. The Blue Devils also got double-digit kills from Ashby Zubchevich with 13. Nikki Quinn quarterbacked the offense with 38 assists.

Defensively, Zubchevich led the way with 11 digs, while Mailinh Godschall had 10.

Sophia Groom led the NC State attack with 14 kills on a .667 hitting clip.

How it Happened
Set 1: NC State 25, Duke 18
• The Blue Devils dropped seven of the opening 10 points, forcing them to use its first timeout of the match. NC State continued its strong play, bringing a 15-10 lead into the media timeout.
• The Wolfpack continued to lead for the remainder of the set and Duke could not get it closer than four.
• Moravec led Duke with four kills, as the Blue Devils hit .143 in the frame. On the other side NC State dominated on offense, hitting .452.

Set 2: NC State 25, Duke 22
• Duke was in a much better rhythm to open the second set, as the two teams played even through the first 24 points.
• Trailing 15-13, Duke won four consecutive points – including two kills from Avery Hamlin – to take a two-point lead and force an NC State timeout.
• The Wolfpack answered by going on a 6-1 run to take a 21-18 lead, resulting in a Blue Devil timeout. NC State continued its momentum coming out of the short break, and while Duke was able to get within one, it wasn't enough to even the match up.
• Duke hit .194 in the frame, with Moravec adding five kills to lead the team.

Set 3: Duke 25, NC State 20
• With the score tied at 9-9, the Blue Devils went on a 6-2 run to lead 15-11 at the media timeout. Of those six points, four were kills off the right hand of Zubchevich.
• Duke continued to play well, and extended its lead to 19-13, which forced NC State to use a timeout.
• Breonna Goss and Charlotte Glass combined for Duke's first block of the day to push the lead to 22-16. Goss and Zubchevich recorded a block on the very next play to extend the lead to seven.
• The Blue Devils clinched its first set of the day on a Wolfpack attacking error.
• Duke had its best offensive set, hitting .343. Moravec and Zubchevich each had seven kills in the frame. NC State hit .118.

Set 4: NC State 25, Duke 21
• The momentum Duke built up in set three carried into the fourth, as the Blue Devils quickly jumped ahead 9-4 and forced NC State into a timeout.
• The five-point lead remained at the media timeout, as Duke was ahead 15-10 following a Moravec kill. The Blue Devils continued playing clean volleyball and led 19-14.
• NC State responded with an 11-2 run to clinch the match.

By the Numbers
• NC State won the kill battle 53-49. The Wolfpack also dished out three more assists than the Blue Devils.
• NC State led in aces 7-5 but committed 15 errors compared to Duke's 11.
• The Wolfpack had 10 blocks on the day, while Duke had three.

Up Next
Duke returns to Cameron Indoor Stadium next week, as it hosts Georgia Tech on Friday at 6:30 and Clemson on Sunday at 1 p.m. Both matches will be streamed on ACCNX, with live stats available at GoDuke.com.