Duke plays American in the 1st round of the NCAA Tournament
<a href='http://www.ncaasports.com/volleyball/womens/brackets/viewable/straight64_dyn/2005/DI' target='_blank'>http://www.ncaasports.com/volleyball/women...t64_dyn/2005/DI</a>
DURHAM, N.C. – The Duke volleyball team will play American University in the first round of the 2005 Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship on Friday at 6 p.m. EST in Lincoln, Neb., the NCAA selection committee announced today. The Blue Devils will make their 11th appearance in the NCAA Tournament in school history and their fourth appearance under head coach Jolene Nagel.
Duke finished third in the ACC this season, posting a 23-7 overall record and a 17-5 conference mark. The Blue Devils went an ACC-best 10-1 over the second half of the conference schedule to finish with a school-record 17 ACC victories. Duke has won 12 of its last 13 matches, including an eight-match winning streak to close out the season. The 23 victories marked the fifth time in seven years that the Blue Devils have posted a 20-win season under Nagel.
Duke in the NCAA Tournament
The Blue Devils are 5-10 overall in ten appearances in the NCAA Tournament. Duke’s last appearance came in 2002 when the Blue Devils fell to Miami, 3-0. Duke Head Coach Jolene Nagel has gone 1-3 with the Blue Devils at the NCAA Tournament, recording her first tournament win against William & Mary on Nov. 30, 2001.
2005 Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship
Thirty-one conferences were awarded automatic bids to this year’s tournament while the remaining 33 slots were filled by at-large selections. The top 16 teams were seeded nationally and placed within four regions. The four regions include Omaha, Neb., Palo Alto, Calif., College Station, Texas, and State College, Pa. The top four seeds in this year’s tournament are Nebraska, Penn State, Washington and Arizona.
Duke, along with North Carolina and Maryland, will represent the ACC in this year’s tournament. The Big 12 Conference led all conferences with seven selections while the Big Ten, Pac-10 and the Southeastern Conference all had six schools selected.
Scouting American University
American University went 25-9 overall in 2005, recording their tenth 25-win season in school history. The Eagles will make their fifth straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament and seventh appearance in school history after capturing their fifth straight Patriot League Championship.
Duke-American University Series History
Duke is 1-1 against American University in series history. The Blue Devils won the first-ever meeting between the two teams, sweeping the Eagles, 3-0, on Sept. 3, 1993. American University evened the series by defeating Duke, 3-2, on Sept. 13, 2002.
