Duke Returns Home to Host No. 7 Stanford, California

OPENING SERVE

Following a four-game road swing, Duke volleyball returns home to Cameron Indoor Stadium to host No. 7 Stanford and California this weekend.
The Blue Devils will take on the Cardinal Friday at 6:30 p.m., before a 2 p.m., Sunday contest against the Golden Bears.
Friday's contest will serve as the program's Spike Out Cancer game while the Sunday's matchup will mark the Blue Devils' Senior Day.

LAST TIME OUT

The Blue Devils dropped a pair of ACC road contests last week, falling to No. 3 Louisville (0-3) and Notre Dame (1-3).
Outside hitter Kerry Keefe led the offense with 26 total kills across the two matches, while setter Grace Penn tallied 53 assists to pace the Blue Devils. Freshman libero Mailinh Godschall logged 22 digs for the weekend.

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE SERIES
STANFORD
• Duke and Stanford will meet for the 7th time overall and first as conference opponents. Stanford holds the edge in the all-time series, 6-0. The Cardinal swept the Blue Devils in the most recent meeting between the teams on Aug. 31, 2019 in Charleston, S.C. Friday's contest marks Stanford's first trip to Durham since 2015.

CALIFORNIA
• The Blue Devils and Golden Bears are set to face off for the third time in program history and first since 2007. California leads the overall series, 2-0, after defeating Duke in four sets in Durham on Dec. 1, 2007.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
STANFORD
• Stanford, ranked No. 7 nationally, maintained its perfect 11-0 record at home after a pair of sweeps over Virginia and Virginia Tech last weekend. The Cardinal hold a 21-4 overall record and 13-3 mark in ACC play. Stanford's offense features four players that have recorded 200-plus kills on the year in Elia Rubin (324), Ipar Kurt (271), Jordyn Harvey (230) and Sami Francis (203). Nationally, the Cardinal ranks third in hitting percentage (.320), seventh in assists per set (13.31) and ninth in kills per set (14.22). Francis also headlines the defensive unit, leading the team in total blocks (124) and blocks per set (1.49), which ranks third and fourth in the conference, respectively.

CALIFORNIA
• California currently sits 12-16 overall and 4-12 in conference play. The Golden Bears split a pair of home games last week, sweeping Virginia Tech in straight sets before falling to Virginia in four sets. Cal currently ranks fourth in the conference in digs (1503) and third in digs per set (15.18). Maggie Li has powered the offense this season, seeing action in all 99 sets and leading the team in kills (380), kills per set (3.84) and points (421.0). Gianna Bartalo anchors the defense, leading the way with 407 digs (4.11/set).

For more information on Duke volleyball, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching for "DukeVB".

Duke Centennial
In 2024, Duke celebrates its Centennial, marking one hundred years since Trinity College became Duke University. Duke will use this historic milestone to deepen the understanding of its history, inspire pride and strengthen bonds and partnerships, and prepare for a second century of continued excellence and impactful leadership. To learn more, please visit 100.duke.edu

#GoDuke | #Team54