Duke Falls to Houston, 3-0

DURHAM, N.C. – The Duke volleyball team fell to Houston, 3-0, Saturday evening inside Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils drop to 1-1 on the season, while Houston remains undefeated at 2-0.

Offensively, outside hitter Taylor Williams led the attack with 10 kills, while outside hitter Ashby Zubchevich added nine. Libero Mailinh Godschall garnered a game-best 20 digs, marking the second consecutive game she has tallied double-digit digs.

How It Happened

Set One – Duke 19, Houston 25

Houston posted a 25-19 triumph in set one to take the early lead. The Cougars posted a .293 hitting percentage while the Blue Devils were held to a .167 attack percentage. Houston's attack was fueled by Halle Schroder, who posted a set-high five kills. For Duke, Williams and Zubchevich tallied four kills apiece. The set was tied up 10 times before Houston earned four of the last five points to secure the first frame.

Set Two – Duke 13, Houston 25

Houston maintained momentum into set two, claiming the frame, 25-13. The Blue Devils fought to a 5-5 tie early in the set, but Houston ran away with the lead to have the 2-0 advantage going into the third set. The Cougars boasted a .316 hitting percentage, while the Blue Devils were constricted to .100. Bre Reid and Schroder both tallied four kills apiece, and Morin Kellen led the set with five kills to surge Houston's offense. For the Blue Devils, defensive specialist Christina Barrow garnered a set-high eight digs.

Set Three – Duke 24, Houston 26

Houston slipped away with a win in the third set, winning 26-24. The third set was knotted 16 times, with momentum shifting with the lead on seven occasions. In the last 11 points of the match, the set was tied five times. Houston earned the final two points to push past the 24-24 lockup and clinch the match.

Notables

Duke falls to a 1-1 record on the season, while Houston advances to a 2-0 record.
Houston extends its lead against the Blue Devils in the all-time series, 2-0.
The Blue Devils boasted a .170 attack percentage, while Houston hit .283.
Sophomore Taylor Williams led Duke's offense with 10 kills and freshman Ashby Zubchevich followed with nine.
Sophomore Mailinh Godschall posted a match-high 20 digs — her second consecutive match hitting that total and the ninth of her career with 20 or more.
Freshmen Olivia Wayne and Aly Donoghue made their Duke debuts.
Williams registered 10 or more kills for the second consecutive match.
Senior Christina Barrow (11) and Williams (12) posted career-high digs.

Quote

"Houston did a great job of executing today. We needed to serve better and tougher to make our lives easier. Our fight in set three was great to see, and our team is committed to grow from this match," head coach Jolene Nagel.

Up Next

Duke closes out the weekend by facing off against FIU on Sunday at 2 p.m. in Cameron Indoor Stadium. The match will stream on ACC Network Extra.

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

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Players Mentioned

Christina Barrow

Aly Donoghue

Mailinh Godschall

Olivia Wayne

Taylor Williams

Ashby Zubchevich

Duke information