Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forest University
Duke
Wake Forest Falls in Five to Duke, 3-2
10/12/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
By Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeVolleyball)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest volleyball fell to Duke, 3-2, on Wednesday night at LJVM Coliseum.
Wake Forest (7-11) and Duke (12-5) began what would be a back-and-forth affair from the very beginning, splitting the first 12 points. The Demon Deacons then went on a 5-0 run, forcing Duke into a timeout. The Deacs then lead throughout the set, thanks to solid attack efforts from Kylie Long, Caitlyn Della and Katie Moore. The trio recorded 14 combined kills and a .367 attack percentage to stymie the Duke defense. Despite the strong Demon Deacon offense, the Blue Devils did not back down. Duke pulled within three points on six separate occasions but the Deacs would take the first set, 25-20.
The Blue Devils finally found their stride in the second set, jumping out to a 7-3 lead and refusing to look back. Duke recorded a .333 attack percentage as a squad but it was Jordan Tucker and Samantha Amos who led the Blue Devils to the set victory. Tucker recorded one error and six kills on nine total attacks to finish the set with a .556 attack percentage while Amos recorded four kills and no errors for a .571 clip. The Blue Devils tied up the match with a 25-22 second set victory.
Both teams came out hot for the third set. Much like the first, the squads traded runs and points, with the Deacs scoring six-straight points only to allow Duke seven-straight. Down 13-10, the Deacs managed to keep fighting and tie the score 18-all. Back-to-back kills from Kylie Long, who totaled 16 on the night, would give the Deacs a two-point lead and the confidence they needed to finish the set. A huge block assist from Long and Della finished the set 25-22 in favor of Wake Forest.
While the previous three sets had been nail-biters, the fourth set was all Duke. The Demon Deacons were plagued with errors, swinging only a .091 attack percentage, while the Blue Devils recorded five total team blocks. The Blue Devils easily took the set 25-17 to force a fifth and deciding set.
Wake Forest was the first squad to hit the eight-point mark in the fifth set, leading 8-6 at the switch. The remainder of the match would prove to be just as exciting as the first four sets as Duke rallied from a four-point deficit to take the set 15-12 and the match 3-2.
Sophomore Katie Moore recorded a career-high 14 kills in the match, previously 13 kills against Loyola Chicago on Sept. 3 of this season. Moore recorded 14 kills and only three errors on 30 total attempts for a .367 attack percentage.
Freshman Caitlyn Della also recorded a career-high with 13 kills, surpassing her previous mark of 12 against Notre Dame. Della swung a .333 attack percentage and totaled only four errors.
The Demon Deacons continue their six-match homestand on Oct. 14 against Virginia. The match is set to begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Summit School.
