Duke Handles Demon Deacons 3-0 for First ACC Win

Friday, September 18

Winston-Salem, N.C.

7:00 p.m.

Duke University

Wake Forest

North Carolina Upsets Duke 3-1 in Chapel Hill

Duke Handles Demon Deacons 3-0 for First ACC Win

9/18/2009 9:30:00 PM | Volleyball

By: Duke Sports Information

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Amanda Robertson finished with 10 kills and a .643 hitting percentage to lead Duke to a 3-0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-18) sweep over Wake Forest in the ACC opener Friday evening in Reynolds Gym.

Robertson, a 6-3 middle blocker, made just one attack error on 14 attacks while also contributing one service ace, five digs and three blocks. Her efficiency was part of an offensive outburst that saw Duke (9-2, 1-0 ACC) hit .326 against the Demon Deacons.

Robertson also helped Duke rack up 10.5 blocks against Wake Forest (0-10, 0-1 ACC), which is the most by the Blue Devils in a three-set match since Nov. 13 against North Carolina. Robertson was one of six Blue Devils with multiple blocks, joining freshman Christian Gray - who had a team-high five - and Becci Burling and Kellie Catanach, who had four stops apiece.

"It feels really good to get our first ACC win," head coach Jolene Nagel said. "Wake Forest had a great environment and a good crowd. It was very loud in there, so it was important that our team was able to stay focused and communicate in order to work together out there.

"All three sets were very competitive, and we had to fight for every point. It was a great match for us to get under our belt and also to gain experience as we begin our ACC season."

Wake Forest could do little to stop Duke's offense, giving way to 45 kills. Catanach dished out 37 assists, while sophomore Sophia Dunworth and senior Rachael Moss each recorded double-digit kills. Moss also recorded her third double-double of the season by picking up a team-high 12 digs.

The Demon Deacons had just as much trouble getting anything to hit Duke's side of the court, hitting just .138 in the three-set affair. Setter Kelsey Jones was Wake Forest's most efficient attacker, finishing 4-for-6. Jones was forced to take matters into her own hands after just one of her attackers hit above .250 on the night.

Duke came out swinging and hit .414 in the opening set behind a perfect 5-for-5 performance from Robertson and an errorless 5-for-7 outing from Burling. Catanach effectively directed the offense and saw over 60 percent of her serves go down for kills, allowing Duke to outpace a .308 clip from Wake Forest. The Deacs did not let the first set slip away easily, however, and stayed within two points of Duke until a kill from Robertson put Wake Forest into a 23-20 deficit. From there, Catanach put down one of her two service aces on the night before Burling locked up the win with her fifth kill of the night.

Wake Forest bounced back defensively to hold Duke to a .194 clip in the second set, but could do no better against Duke's block and fell 25-19 to drop into a 0-2 hole. Duke got five kills from Dunworth and three blocks from Gray in the victory, which was enabled by a 9-3 run that broke a 13-13 tie. Ahead by six after the rally, Duke cruised to the win on kills from Moss, Robertson and Dunworth.

Duke once again had to work for the final set, but came away with the match-clinching 25-18 victory on the strength of an errorless 6-for-12 performance from Moss and a 4-for-6 set from Dunworth. Moss also finished 3-for-4 without an error in the final set and helped out defensively with a team-high six digs. Wake Forest again had trouble with Duke's block, hitting into 5.5 stops. Four of those involved Burling, who leads Duke with 44 stops and an average of 1.19 per set.

Now 1-0 in the Black and Gold Challenge, Duke will have a shot at winning the tournament on Saturday. All that stands in Duke's way are Liberty, which the Blue Devils will face at 10 a.m., and Appalachian State, which Duke takes on at 4:30 p.m.

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