N.C. State dropped its fourth straight match, falling to No. 15 Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium, 3-1 (20-25, 14-25, 25-20, 18-25).
“We had some good moments where we played really well,” head coach Bryan Bunn said. “We showed a lot more energy and a lot more heart than in the last couple of matches.”
Junior outside hitter Rachel Buckley and senior middle blocker Brie Merriwether led the Wolfpack (20-11, 11-8 ACC) in kills with 11 and 10 respectively.
“When you keep getting kills, it keeps building on your momentum,” Buckley said. “The way we kept moving as a team helped keep us alive.”
Sophomore setter Tanna Aljoe recorded her seventh double-double of the season with 20 assists, which led the team, and 12 digs. Aljoe split time at the setter position with freshman setter Maggie Speaks. Speaks contributed with three kills and 11 assists against the Blue Devils.
“[Utilizing two setters] is great,” Merriwether said. “Maggie brings height on the court, and Tanna has her strengths on defense, so together, they make the perfect setter. Using them on the court gave us a boost at all times.
Freshman libero Rachel Eppley led State’s defensive effort with 15 digs. Aljoe’s 12 tied with junior outside hitters Nikki Glass and Dariyan Hopper for the second-most.
Both teams kept the first set close early, but the Devils (26-4, 17-2 ACC) created separation with a 4-1 run. State rallied to tie the set at 16, but Duke ended the set on a 9-4 run, taking the five-point victory.
The Devils were relentless in the second set, scoring four straight points to start. Following a Pack timeout, Duke continued its dominance with a 9-3 run that cemented its victory. The Pack attempted a late rally, but the Devils rolled away with the 11-point win in the second set.
“We competed well in the first set,” Merriwether said. “In the second set, we fell apart. After bouncing back from that showed our competitiveness and our mentality on the court.”
After taking a timeout trailing 5-2, State rallied with a 9-2 run to put the Pack back in the third set. State traded points with Duke, but the Pack ended the set on a 6-1 run after the Devils tied the set at 19 apiece. State’s five-point win was the first set won since the Nov. 15 match against Virginia, breaking an 11-set losing streak.
“Rachel got us fired up during that set,” Bunn said. “[During the timeout] I told them we were a better team than this. We needed to get locked in and engaged, and that’s exactly what we did.”
Duke scored the first three points in the fourth set, beginning a 7-2 run that put the Devils ahead. The Pack kept the deficit close, eventually tying the score at nine, but Duke ended the set on a 16-9 run that sealed the match for the Devils.
State will return to action on Saturday as the Pack closes its season on the road against Wake Forest. The match will start at 2 p.m. at Reynolds Gymnasium.
“Saturday’s match is huge,” Bunn said. “It plays a big role in the conference standings. We’re still in fourth right now. Depending on how the Virginia teams do, a win will keep us in fourth, and that would be a huge finish for us.”
