DURHAM, N.C. – UNCG Volleyball opened the 2016 campaign inside Cameron Indoor Stadium on Friday night, as the Spartans dropped the match 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 25-15) to the Duke Blue Devils.  UNCG falls to 0-1 on the season, and 0-4 against Duke all-time.

UNCG hit for just a .096 average on Friday night, as Jessica Brezwyn (Darien, Ill./Hinsdale South) and Ashley Muench (Hurdle Mills, N.C./Orange) led the way with 11 kills each.  Muench earned her first double-double of the season, tallying 11 digs on the contest, trailing only Christina Gregory (Louisville, Ky./Sacred Heart Academy) who tied a career high with 16 digs. 

The Spartans dropped the first set, 25-20.  Muench opened the scoring with the first kill of 2016, giving the Spartans an early lead. It was back and forth until the Blue Devils took advantage of four attack errors to take a 16-12 lead.  UNCG climbed back into the first set, triming the lead to just three on kill from Jasmine Jones (Stafford, Va./Brooke Point).  A service error on set point gave Duke the first set.

Duke stretched out a three-point lead in the second set after kills from Alyse Whitaker and Anna Kropf gave the Blue Devils a 12-9 lead. With Mourier serving, UNCG managed to score three-straight points to bring the Spartans within one at 15-14.  The Blue Devils again benefitted from a pair of Spartan attack errors to increase the lead to 23-18 before UNCG called its last timeout of the set.  The Spartans forced a pair of set points before a kill from Jamie Stivers closed out the second set, 25-19 Duke.

Duke jumped out to an 8-2 lead at the start of the third set.  UNCG battled back and continued to push the Blue Devils, cutting the lead to 16-12 after a Muench kill.  Duke finished the game off strong, scoring nine of the final ten points of the match to take it 25-15.

The Spartans are back in action at the Duke Invitational at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday morning as they will face off with the LSU Tigers.  LSU defeated Eastern Kentucky in three sets to open the Duke Invitational earlier Friday evening. 

-UNCG-