Zubchevich’s 21 Kills Powers Duke Past NC State, 3-1

Friday, September 26

Durham, N.C.

6:30 PM

Duke University

4-8,1-0ACC

NC State

7-4,0-1ACC

NC State

Duke

Photo by: Nat LeDonne / Duke Athletics

Zubchevich’s 21 Kills Powers Duke Past NC State, 3-1

9/26/2025 10:57:00 PM | Volleyball

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DURHAM, N.C. – Freshman Ashby Zubchevich powered the Blue Devil volleyball team past NC State Friday night, registering a career-high 21 kills to lead Duke to a 3-1 (25-23, 20-25, 25-22, 25-21) victory inside Cameron Indoor Stadium.

The Blue Devils snapped a three-match losing streak and claimed a win in their ACC opener for the second straight season. Duke improves to 4-8 overall and 1-0 in conference play, while the Wolfpack drops to 7-4, 0-1 in ACC competition.

Alongside Zubchevich's standout performance, sophomore Taylor Williams tallied 11 kills, while freshman Charlotte Glass dished out 22 assists and sophomore Nikki Quinn added 21 helpers. Defensively, Williams, freshman Zoë Gillen-Malveaux and redshirt senior Ngozi Iloh each contributed two blocks apiece. Sophomore Mailinh Godschall paced Duke with 19 digs.

How It Happened

Set One – Duke 25, NC State 23

The Blue Devils grabbed the early lead with a 25-23 win in the opening frame. The set was tied at 21-21, and the teams traded points until a kill from Zubchevich and an NC State attack error pushed Duke ahead, 24-22. The Wolfpack answered with a point, but Zubchevich closed out the set with a decisive kill.

Set Two – Duke 20, NC State 25

NC State responded in the second set, claiming a 25-20 victory. A seven-point run early in the frame pushed the Wolfpack ahead, 12-5. Duke rallied to cut the deficit to 17-15, but NC State never surrendered the lead and sealed the set with three straight points.

Set Three – Duke 25, NC State 22

Duke regained the match lead with a 25-22 win in the third set. After a back-and-forth battle early, the Blue Devils broke a 16-16 tie by taking four of the next five points. NC State answered with a three-point run, but Duke closed the frame strong, winning six of the final eight points to secure the set.

Set Four – Duke 25, NC State 21

The Blue Devils closed out the match with a 25-21 victory in the final frame. In another tightly contested set, Duke swung momentum by winning six of seven points to turn a 15-14 NC State edge into a 20-16 Blue Devil lead. The Wolfpack trimmed the deficit to 23-21, but a kill from Zubchevich and a putaway by fellow freshman Olivia Wayne secured the win for the Blue Devils.

Notes

Duke improves to 4-8 overall, while NC State drops to 7-4.
Friday's win marks the second consecutive year the Blue Devils opened ACC play with a victory, following last year's 3-2 triumph over Boston College.
Head coach Jolene Nagel earned her 716th career victory and 513th win at Duke.
Duke extended its all-time series lead over NC State to 71-36, including a 41-10 advantage in conference play.
Zubchevich recorded a career-high 21 kills and hit a personal-best .311 attack percentage.
The Blue Devils hit .278 as a team while holding the Wolfpack to a .217 clip.
Williams tallied double-digit kills for the eighth time this season, finishing with 11.
Iloh matched her career-high with six blocks, while Wayne tied her career-best with three.
Iloh surpassed 250 career kills, adding nine in Friday's match.
Quinn eclipsed 300 career assists, dishing out 22 helpers.
Williams surpassed 350 career kills with her 11 on the night.

Up Next

The Blue Devils continue ACC play Sunday, welcoming Wake Forest to Cameron Indoor Stadium Sept. 28 at 1 p.m. The match will be streamed on ACC Network Extra.

For more information on Duke volleyball, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram by searching for "DukeVB".

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