DURHAM – The Duke volleyball program and head coach Jolene Nagel announced its captains for the 2023 season as Madison Bryant, Lizzie Fleming, Gracie Johnson and Sydney Yap will lead the Blue Devils this fall.
“I am truly excited for our 2023 team to have Maddie Bryant, Lizzie Fleming, Gracie Johnson and Sydney Yap as captains,” Nagel said. “They are highly respected by all and care deeply about their teammates and Duke volleyball. They place the team first and always have the best interest of the team and program in mind. I’m confident that their leadership and strong work ethic will help us reach our full potential as a team.”
A 2022 graduate transfer from Tennessee, Bryant was Duke’s starting libero before suffering a season-ending injury just six matches into the fall. During that span, she collected 80 digs for a 4.00 digs per set average and added 28 assists and seven aces. In her last season at Tennessee, she finished the year with a career-high 370 digs and a 3.43 digs per set average to help lead the Vols to a NCAA Tournament appearance. She looks to bounce back from her knee injury last fall and be a strong defensive force for the Blue Devils this fall.
Since her arrival in Durham, graduate student Fleming has played in 102 matches as a 6-3 middle blocker. During her senior fall season, she tallied 125 kills for an impressive .305 hitting percentage to lead all hitters despite missing a significant portion of the ACC season due to injury. To date, she ranks 13th in program history with 363 career blocks and has seen action in 365 sets and has knocked down 582 kills for a .288 hitting percentage. Fleming owns 11 double-digit kill games, including a career-high of 14 kills twice, and 49 contests with four or more total blocks.
Johnson was Duke’s engine last fall, but that’s no surprise with her impressive numbers on both sides of the ball. During her senior campaign, she saw her best offensive output since her arrival in Durham with 462 kills and a .203 hitting percentage. She also collected 53 aces, 217 digs and 43 blocks, proving she’s more than just an offensive threat. A first team All-ACC selection, she finished the season ranked in the top-50 of eight national categories and in the top-five of eight statistical categories in the ACC. She led the conference in total aces and was second in total…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Duke University…