Duke Falls at North Carolina, 3-1

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The Duke volleyball team dropped a 3-1 decision (18-25, 25-19, 19-25, 17-25) to North Carolina Wednesday afternoon at Carmichael Arena.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Gracie Johnson led the way offensively with 24 kills to hit .281 percent while Kerry Keefe added 10 as Duke hit .211 percent as a team. Setter Devon Chang dished 40 assists while libero Nikki Underwood paced the defensive unit with 21 digs. Lizzie Fleming and Keefe tallied four and three blocks, respectively. 
• North Carolina maintained a steady lead the entire first set despite Johnson tallying eight kills hitting .400 percent. Keefe and Fleming led the blocking contingent with three and two blocks, respectively. 
• Duke flipped the script in the second set and held a dominant 19-11 lead, forcing North Carolina to burn both its timeouts. The Tar Heels secured five of the next six points to cut into Duke’s lead (20-16), but a Moorea Wood ace helped push Duke to tie the match (1-1). 
• North Carolina locked in on Johnson and kept her without a kill from 16-9 in the second set to 18-12 in the third set. 
• The Blue Devils trailed 18-11 in the third before a 7-0 run fueled by four consecutive kills by Johnson tied the match, 18-18. North Carolina ended the set on a 6-1 run to take a 2-1 lead. 
• North Carolina hit .400 percent in the fourth with 15 kills and just one error to secure the match.

NOTES

• Duke concludes the year 16-13 overall and 7-11 in the ACC.
• North Carolina has won nine of the last 10 meetings.
• Johnson ends the season leading the team in kills in 24 of the 27 matches she saw action in.
• Johnson tallied 20 or more kills in six of the last seven matches. 
• Today’s four-set match marked the 22nd time this season Duke went past three sets. 
• Offensively, North Carolina was led by Liv Mogridge with 12 kills and no errors to hit .444 percent.

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