DURHAM, N.C. — Junior outside hitter
Abby Vacha recorded a season-high 10.5 points for visiting North Carolina Central University in a tight three-set loss at Duke University on Friday morning inside Cameron Indoor Stadium to begin play in the Duke Classic.
Vacha ripped a match-high nine kills and tallied three block assists on the way to her double-digit point performance.
The Blue Devils used a balanced attack with seven different players registering at least four kills to hold off the Eagles by set scores of 25-13, 25-23 and 25-17.
Senior libero Mackenzie Cole led the victors with match-high totals of 15 digs and four aces as Duke improved to 7-2 on the season.
NCCU seniors
Arlanda Faulkner and
Ammaarah Williams both added seven kills. Sophomore setter
Lauren Janok chipped in 21 assists, four kills and two block assists. Redshirt sophomore libero
Alyssa Pieh topped the Eagles with nine digs. Williams also had four block assists and an ace for 10 total points.
The Blue Devils scored eight straight points to rush out to a 9-1 lead in the opening set. NCCU responded by winning the next five points. Williams had an ace and a block assist during the run that pulled the Eagles deficit to 10-6. However, the Eagles committed twice as many hitting errors than kills in the set, allowing Duke to pull away to its biggest set win.
After trailing for most of the second set, kills by Faulkner and Janok tied the frame for the only times at 19-19 and 20-20. The Blue Devils used a few kills of their own to regain a narrow edge, but a kill by Vacha kept NCCU within one, 24-23, on set point. Senior All-ACC performer Ade Owokoniran ripped an ensuing Duke kill to secure the narrow two-point set win for the hosts.
Owokoniran paced the Blue Devils with eight kills, including half of them in the third set. Duke had its best hitting set of the match in the third with a .389 hitting percentage to complete the sweep. Vacha blasted five of her nine kills in the final frame.
NC Central (1-7) will conclude play in the Duke Classic against Long Island University on Saturday at noon.
