Demon Deacons scorched by Blue Devils; ODU up next
By Vanessa St. Gerard
Old Gold and Black Reporter

Following wins against both Virginia and Maryland, the Deacon volleyball team ended its four-game winning streak in Durham on Oct. 9 after falling to second-ranked Duke. With this loss the Deacs fell to 10-6 overall, 4-3 in the ACC.

Despite currently dominating ACC statistical categories, the Demon Deacons were not able to close out the five-game match against the Blue Devils. In the first game, Duke won a hard-fought battle, 34-32, but the Deacs came back to tie the match at one game apiece with a 30-24 second-game win.

Outside hitters senior Trina Maso de Moya and sophomore Sarah Beth DeLisle recorded four kills each in game two. Senior defensive specialist Amber Rieg helped the Deacs with two service aces in the game.

The Deacons pulled ahead in game three, winning 30-25. DeLisle led the Demon Deacons with five kills in the game. Junior setter Ashlee Phillip recorded 16 of her match-high 64 assists in the third game.

The Blue Devils got back on the winning track in game four, tying the game at two. The fifth and deciding game went to Duke which hit a .300 percentage compared to the Deacs’ percentage of .045. The Deacs fell to the Blue Devils 9-15 in the final game of the match.

“Our team played very average,” Head Coach Valorie Baker said. “We didn’t do anything spectacular or great, but we didn’t play badly either. That was the problem. We played with them instead of against them.”

Maso de Moya posted 19 kills, 18 digs and two service aces. Senior middle-blocker Margaret Davidson registered 15 kills and a .355 hitting percentage. DeLisle contributed to the Deacon attack with a season-high 17 kills, and 11 digs.

“We came in paired up very well,” Baker said. “Our team could have beaten them. The match was played at an even pace. If our girls stepped up a notch physically, we could have won.”

Oct. 5 and 6, the Deacs took their game up north to face the Virginia Cavaliers and Maryland Terrapins. In College Park, Md., the Deacs ended the Terps’ four-game winning streak after handing the Cavs their seventh loss of the season in Charlottesville, Va. These wins, and the victory against UNC-Greensboro, helped Phillips notch ACC honors last week for her performance in the three matches.

Phillips was named ACC Player of the Week after leading the Demon Deacons in three consecutive wins by recording 152 assists, 23 digs and a .617 hitting percentage in 10 games. She also contributed 21 kills, four service aces and six blocks to the Deacon victories.

The Deacs swept the Cavaliers in a three-game match, 30-28, 30-21 and 30-20. Virginia kept each game relatively close, even after the Deacs jumped to a commanding 18-9 lead in the third game. The Cavaliers trimmed the advantage to 19-15 but were not able to surpass the Deacon lead.

Davidson led the Demon Deacons with 11 kills and a .381 hitting percentage. Maso de Moya registered 10 kills and four digs of her own, while Phillips tallied 39 assists and 13 digs for the only double-double of the match. She also had seven kills, two service aces and hit a .583 for the Deacs.

“Ashlee Phillips played a great game overall,” Baker said. “She led the team in hitting percentage as a setter. Her strategic placement of the ball was crucial for our victory.”
The Maryland Terrapins struggled against the Deacs as well, falling 26-30, 30-25, 23-30 and 22-30 in the four-game match.

Maso de Moya led all players with 22 digs and 21 kills and four service aces on the night. Phillips had a match-high 66 assists and four kills for the Demon Deacons. Rieg and sophomore Jessica Hauff posted 15 digs and 16 kills, respectively.

The next contest for the Deacs is against Florida State on Oct. 14. The Deacons will travel to Tallahassee, Fla. to face the Seminoles who hold a 6-8 overall record, 4-3 in the conference. when he added his second goal of the game, an insurance goal with under five minutes remaining. The shot came off an assist from White and junior midfielder Aaron Thomas.

The victory over N.C. State is the Deacons ninth in a row in the series against the Wolfpack and the fourth in a row in the 2001 season. The Deacs then romped over visiting UNC-Charlotte at Spry Stadium on Oct. 10, taking the contest by a score of 8-1.

Leading the charge for the Deacs were White Sealy, both tallying two scores for the night. In all, six different Deacs notched goals, and sophomore midfielders Brian Carroll and Vicente Bastidashad each tied a school record with three assists. The Deacons led 2-0 at the half, and it looked like Charlotte might make a game out of it as they scored to cut the deficit to a goal at 2-1 with more than 40 minutes to go in the game.

But, they had simply awoken a sleeping giant. The Deacons scored three goals in the next five minutes to put the game away.

Next up for the Deacons is a contest against Old Dominion at Spry Stadium Oct. 13 at 7 p.m.