On a Friday afternoon over Thanksgiving break, the Hurricanes’ volleyball team was anything but on vacation, as they defeated the Duke Blue Devils in a clean sweep. The Knight Sports Complex hosted the team’s last regular season match.
The Hurricanes (21-10, 12-8 ACC) tallied 41 kills, 47 digs, 10 blocks and seven aces. Their 3-0 win was a testament to their exemplary performance and cohesion on the court.
Offensively, junior Flormarie Heredia Colon and sophomore Grace Lopez put in the work, leading the team with 12 and 10 kills, respectively. On the defensive side, senior Ashley Carr totaled nine blocks and six kills.
Set one opened with six kills from Lopez and junior Dalia Wilson to open Miami’s lead to 11-7. Duke (10-21, 6-14 ACC) fought back, tying the game at 17-17. However, it wasn’t enough to counter the Hurricanes’ offense, as they claimed 18 kills to take set one, 25-22.
Duke started the second set strong, trying to combat Miami’s set one win. The Hurricanes eventually took over the lead after a 3-0 run following three straight blocks from Lopez and Carr. With back-to-back kills from Wilson and senior Nyah Anderson, Miami was able to extend the lead to 17-10. With their exceptional defensive performance of six blocks, the Hurricanes dominated set two 25-11, setting themselves up for success as they approached the final set.
Once again, in the third set, the Blue Devils started with the lead, with a late surge of energy following their two defeats. Duke’s 4-0 run for the lead lasted not too long, as Miami went on two 4-0 runs to go up 15-9. UM was then able to hold the lead for the remainder of the game, as it closed out the final set 25-12.
After hitting .250 as a team and finishing the regular season with a commanding win, the Hurricanes will now play a waiting game to see if they secured a spot in the NCAA tournament.