Moss' Double-Double Leads Duke To Eighth Straight Win

Friday, October 9

Durham, N.C.

7:00 p.m.

Duke University

Miami

Moss' Double-Double Leads Duke To Eighth Straight Win

10/9/2009 6:00:00 PM | Volleyball

By: Duke Sports Information

DURHAM, N.C. - Rachael Moss put down 19 kills and recorded her eighth double-double of the season to lead Duke to a 3-0 (25-22, 25-17, 25-23) win over Miami Friday evening in Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Moss hit .383 and made just one error on team-high 47 attacks. The Hurricanes (10-6, 2-4 ACC) had trouble getting anything past Moss as well, as she racked up 12 digs and 16 errorless service receptions. The win was the eighth straight for the Blue Devils (16-2, 6-0 ACC), who have still lost just one set in six ACC wins.

The 19 kills were a season-high for Moss, who now has four double-doubles in Duke's six ACC matches. Junior teammate Becci Burling also reached double figures with 14 kills, while freshman Christiana Gray was one shy with nine kills. Gray did not commit an error and hit .643, raising her season hitting percentage to .401.

"I'm very proud of how the team executed tonight," said head coach Jolene Nagel, who has led Duke to its second-best start in school history. "I thought we came out stronger in each of the games than we have been, and we improved on some areas that we've been working on in practice. That's always encouraging to see."

Defensively, Burling worked her way in on four of Duke's five blocks, including two solo stops. What Miami got past Burling, libero Claire Smalzer and defensive specialists Alex Sall and Nailah Waterfield were there to pick up. Smalzer collected a season-high 20 digs, while Sall picked up a career-high 13 and Waterfield added nine.

Miami sophomore and ACC kills leader Lane Carico managed 15 kills against the Blue Devils, but hit just .229. Carico was the Hurricanes' main target, taking 47 attacks, but hit just .229. By zeroing in on Carico, Duke was able to hold Miami to a .156 hitting percentage. Duke's 72 digs contributed to that mark, as did blocks from Gray, Sophia Dunworth and Amanda Robertson.

Duke, meanwhile, hit .264, thanks to a 39-assist performance from setter Kellie Catanach. Catanach, who recorded her 2,000^th career assist in Duke's last match, has delivered at least 30 assists in Duke's last eight matches, all wins.

Powered by seven kills from Moss, Duke took the opening set 25-22 to take a one-game lead. The Blue Devils went to Moss early and often, and with good reason as the senior outside hitter made just one error on her team-leading 18 attacks. Sall provided Duke with six digs to help hold the Hurricanes to a .174 clip and just one service ace. Duke jumped out to a 17-11 lead in the opener, but gave way to a 9-3 Miami run that knotted the score at 20-20. Following a Blue Devil timeout, however, Duke closed out the game with kills from Gray, Dunworth, Burling and Catanach.

Duke carried that momentum into the second set and opened with a 12-1 run on the way to a 25-17 win. Duke started by scoring six straight points and then reached 18 before the Hurricanes reached double figures. Waterfield had two aces during that opening run and served six straight points. Moss and Burling keyed the offense with four kills apiece, while Dunworth contributed three and both Gray and Robertson finished with two. Smalzer took over on the defensive end and collected four digs as Miami hit just .065 in the second set. Sall also picked up five more digs, giving her a career-high 11 in the first two games.

The fifth set featured eight kills and no attack errors from Moss, who hit .500 and led Duke to a .326 hitting percentage. Gray also went 5-for-6, while Burling added six kills and both of her solo blocks. Miami did not go quietly, however, and battled to tie the match at 20-20. Duke traded points with the Hurricanes, but eventually staked a 23-22 lead that was just big enough of a cushion for the rest of the match. Needing just two more points to clinch their fifth ACC sweep of the year, Burling and Moss added the final two kills to lock up the 25-23 win.

Duke continues its weekend homestand on Saturday at 7 p.m. when No. 19 Florida State comes to town. The Seminoles have been ranked in the AVCA Coaches Poll Top 25 for four consecutive weeks and will provide Duke its toughest challenge since No. 1 Penn State came to town on Sept. 12.

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