Hurricanes Fall to Blue Devils in Four Games
Oct. 21, 2005
<?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>DURHAM, N.C. – The University of Miami volleyball squad dropped a 3-1 (24-30, 30-19, 27-30, 26-30) decision to Duke in Atlantic Coast Conference action Friday evening at the Blue Devils’ Cameron Indoor Stadium. <?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>
With the loss, the Hurricanes fall to 10-8 overall and 5-5 in ACC play while the Blue Devils improve to 13-6 overall and 7-4 in the ACC.
Senior Karla Johnson led all players with 24 kills but could not lift the visiting Hurricanes past the Blue Devils who are on a six-match winning streak. Johnson also contributed 14 digs and a season-high five block assists.
Junior Jill Robinson also led all players with 51 assists along with 16 digs and three block assists.
Freshman Lauren Rinderknecht knocked down a career-high 12 kills, tallied 11 digs and posted Miami’s only solo block.
Also contributing for Miami was redshirt-junior Francheska Savage, who registered 13 kills and five block assists; junior Ann Gallo, who tallied a team-high 17 digs; and sophomore Michelle Bruin, who dropped in a personal-best two service aces.
The Hurricanes trailed at the onset of game one until three consecutive kills by Johnson gave Miami an 11-8 lead. The Blue Devils, however, regained the lead at 12-11. Though the Hurricanes tied the game at 13-all, the Blue Devils extended their lead with four-straight points to go on top 17-13. The Hurricanes could not put together a run to gain ground as the Blue Devils pulled away for a 30-24 victory.
The Blue Devils only led with the first point of the game as the Hurricanes ran away with a 30-19 game two victory to tie the match with one game apiece. Miami knocked down 20 kills out of 42 attempts for a .310 hitting percentage, the highest of the match, while holding Duke to a match-low .095 hitting percentage. Rinderknecht tallied six kills while Savage went 5-for-7 to lead the Hurricanes in game two.
Game three was a battle for the match lead as the eight tied scores indicated. After matching each other point-for-point, Duke went ahead 12-8 and then went on an 11-8 run for a 21-17 lead. But the Hurricanes answered with eight-consecutive points to take the lead, 24-22. Miami, however, could not keep Duke at bay as the Blue Devils tied the score at 26-all and then again at 27-all before retaking the lead, 28-27. After a Miami timeout, Duke knocked down two-straight kills to capture a 30-27 game three victory.
The start of game four was all Duke as the Blue Devils reeled off six-straight points for an early lead but the Hurricanes countered with a nine-point run of their own to seize a 13-10 lead. The score got knotted-up on four more occasions but Duke remained ahead 22-21. Miami tied the score once more at 22-all but could not retake the lead as Duke pulled away for a 30-26 win and the match victory.
During the match, both teams were beset by poor hitting as they each averaged below .200 for the match. They were also about equal in every category including kills where Miami totaled 69 to Duke’s 66, and total blocks, Miami posted 11.0 to Duke’s 10.0.
Five Blue Devils registered double-digit kill efforts with Carrie DeMange knocking down a team-high 16 digs as well as a match-high 21 digs.
The Hurricanes return to action tomorrow evening when they face WakeForest at 6:00 p.m. in Winston-Salem.
