Duke Falls to Tulane, 3-0

Thursday, September 3

Jacksonville, Fla.

3 p.m.

Duke University

2-1,0-0ACC

Tulane

2-1,0-0American

Team	1	2	3	Final F
Tulane	25	25	26	3
Duke	23	23	24	0

Nataly Moravec gets ready to receive a serve against Coastal Carolina

9/3/2026 5:20:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Duke volleyball recorded its first loss of 2026, falling 3-0 (23-25, 23-25, 24-26) to Tulane on Thursday afternoon inside the UNF Arena.

Duke (2-1) got 13 kills from Taylor Williams, but it wasn't enough to overcome Tulane (3-1). The Green Wave held Duke to .205 hitting and recorded 6.0 blocks, which proved to be a deciding factor.

Williams has now recorded double-digit kills in six consecutive games dating back to last season.

How it Happened
Set 1 – Tulane 25, Duke 23

The Green Wave held the lead for most of the first set and led 15-10 at the media timeout. Duke narrowed the score to within one multiple times late in the set but couldn't leap in front of Tulane, who clinched the frame on a kill by Lauryn Mack.
The two teams had near identical offensive stats, with both recording a .205 hitting percentage. The difference in the set was blocking, as Tulane recorded 4.0 blocks to Duke's zero.
Zoe Gillen-Malveaux led Duke with five kills on seven attempts.

Set 2 – Tulane 25, Duke 23

Duke got off to a better start in the second set, winning seven of the first 10 points. The lead narrowed to one halfway through the set, with Duke leading 15-14.
With the score tied 18-18, Tulane won four straight points. The Blue Devils were able to get back within one but couldn't even up the match.
Duke hit .152 in the set compared to Tulane's .296 clip. Williams had three kills to pace the Blue Devils.

Set 3 – Tulane 26, Duke 24

Like the middle set, the Blue Devils jumped ahead early, taking a 6-2 lead. The Green Wave battled back to even the score at eight and the two sides went back and forth the remainder of the way.
After calling a timeout trailing 23-22, Duke scored back-to-back points to get their first chance at a set victory. However, Tulane recorded three consecutive points to clinch the match.
Williams had seven kills in the frame, while Nataly Moravec had six.

By the Numbers

Tulane won the kill battle, 42-41, while outhitting Duke .274 to .205.
Duke had eight service aces compared to Tulane's six.
Tulane had 6.0 blocks while Duke had 3.0. The Green Wave out-blocked the Blue Devils 4-0 in the opening set.
Nikki Quinn had a team-high 32 assists.
Williams led Duke with 10 digs to record her second double-double of the year.

Up Next
Duke is back in action tomorrow night, taking on North Florida at 5 p.m., on ESPN+