NCAA Womens Volleyball

Duke Rallies Past Notre Dame, Johnson Reaches Kills Milestone

Virginia Tech

SOUTH BEND, Ind. –  Down two sets, the Duke volleyball team rallied to defeat Notre Dame, 3-2 (19-25, 17-25, 25-18, 25-16, 15-8), Sunday evening in South Bend, Ind. 

Senior Gracie Johnson became the 28th Blue Devil to reach the 1,000-kill plateau with 20 kills in the match. 

How it Happened

  • Johnson led the team with 20 kills, 15 digs, three aces and two blocks while Rachel Richardson added 15 kills and 12 digs. Nikki Underwood collected 25 digs while Rylie Kadel added eight blocks to Devon Chang’s five. She also added a career-high 54 assists. 
  • Despite Notre Dame having the lowest team hitting percentage in the ACC, the Fighting Irish came out firing with a .419 clip in the first set with 17 kills and just four errors. They went on to play to a .244 percent in the second to take an early 2-0 lead.
  • The Blue Devils flipped the script in the third with a .275 hitting percentage as Johnson tallied five kills, two aces and six digs. Kerry Keefe came off the bench and registered four kills.
  • Chang and Kadel each added four blocks to spearhead the blocking contingent and help limit the Fighting Irish to a .026 hitting percentage. Richardson added eight kills and just three errors for a .312 clip.
  • All tied up at 2-2, Duke came out hot to close out the match with a .550 hitting percentage with 12 kills and only one error. 

Notes

  • Duke improved to 13-10 overall and 4-8 in the ACC.
  • Head coach Jolene Nagel captured her 680th career victory and her 477th at the helm of the Blue…

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