DURHAM, N.C. – The 21st-ranked Duke volleyball team looks to rebound from its first ACC loss of the season as the Blue Devils welcome Clemson to Cameron Indoor Stadium Friday, Oct. 24. First serve between the Blue Devils and the Tigers is set for 6:30 p.m.
Following a sweep of Virginia Friday evening, Duke (15-4, 7-1 ACC) suffered its first home loss of the season Sunday, falling to then-No. 11 North Carolina. Outside hitter Emily Sklar knocked down a match-high 19 kills versus Virginia, while middle blockers Alyse Whitaker and Jordan Tucker both posted career bests against UNC with 15 and 14 kills, respectively.
The Blue Devils are currently second in the conference standings behind No. 4 Florida State (19-0, 7-0 ACC).
Entering the weekend, the Blue Devils lead the ACC in three categories: hitting percentage (.275), kills per set (14.88) and digs per set (16.56). Duke also boasts one of the top offenses in the country, ranking second nationally in kills per set and third in assists per set. Setter Kelsey Williams, who is tops in the league with an 11.61 assists per set average, has directed the Blue Devils' potent offense.
One of the top outside hitters in the league, Sklar averages a team-best 4.02 kills per set, good for fourth in the ACC. Fellow outside hitter Jeme Obeime continues to climb the school career kills chart and currently ranks 12th all-time with 1,163 career kills.
Libero Sasha Karelov anchors the Duke defense and averages an ACC-leading 5.34 digs per set. Karelov had picked up 10 or more digs in all 19 contests, totaling 20-plus digs on eight occasions.
Clemson (14-5, 3-4 ACC) is coming off a 3-1 setback to fourth-place Pitt this past Sunday. The Tigers are currently eighth in the ACC standings.
Outside hitters Kristin Faust and Leah Perri are the Tigers' top offensive targets. Faust has totaled 249 kills and ranks eighth in the league in kills per set (3.51), while Perri has amassed 220 kills. Clemson is a solid blocking team and trails only North Carolina for the ACC lead in blocks per set. Middle blocker Karis Watson is the league leader with a 1.48 blocks per set average.
Friday's match is also Duke's annual Dig Pink contest. The Blue Devils will hold a silent auction with proceeds going to the Side-Out Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to making a significant and identifiable difference in the lives of breast cancer patients and their families by supporting clinical trials, increasing compassionate support services and educating communities.
Duke will also hold a moment of silence for former standout Linda Kraft Moiseenko, who lost her battle with breast cancer earlier this month. In addition, Moiseenko's daughter Alexandra will sit with the team and serve as honorary captain.
Fans unable to attend can watch the match on the Blue Devil Network via GoDuke.com. Live stats are also available on GoDuke.com.
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