ACC Weekly Preview: Tobacco Road Rivalry Closes Out Dual Meet Season

Photo Courtesy: Nat LeDonne/Duke Athletics

The final weekend of dual meets of the 2018-19 college season is already upon us and the Atlantic Coast Conference has one remaining dual meet on the schedule and it is one of the biggest rivalries in the entire NCAA.

North Carolina and Duke are bitter rivals, most notably in men’s basketball, and will meet in the pool in Chapel Hill on Saturday at noon. North Carolina is not ranked in either the men’s or women’s CSCAA Division I poll from January 23, but the Duke women are ranked 21st in a tie with Missouri from the SEC.

Duke is favored to win the meet on both sides, but North Carolina is 79-4 against the Blue Devils on the men’s side all-time and the Tar Heel women also lead the all-time series 42-2.

Duke celebrating its victory over North Carolina in 2018; Photo Courtesy: Nat LeDonne/Duke Athletics

However, that stat is a bit misleading because Duke has walked away with sweeps the last two years, so the Duke women’s two victories have come in the last two seasons.

If Duke could come away with two victories over North Carolina, it would be a monumental win for the program as the senior class would be the first class ever to win three meets over UNC. The Tar Heels will not go down without a fight, but it should be a meet to watch this weekend in Chapel Hill.

Last year, it was an emotional weekend for Duke as they swept North Carolina in front of its home fans in Durham. Duke’s freshmen class of Melissa Pish and Easop Lee have provided some major points for the Blue Devils as they have the fastest 500 free times this year for Duke, and have also been quicker than any swimmer from UNC.

If North Carolina is to come out on top of Duke, they will have to rely on their breaststrokers Lilly Higgs and Caroline Hauder, who are faster than any of Duke’s breaststrokers. Duke’s Constance Dean is better in the 200, but she will need to step up in the 100 to ensure UNC does not sweep.

Duke is highlighted by Alyssa Marsh, who has the third fastest 100 fly of anyone in the ACC. She sits just behind the Louisville duo of Grace Oglesby and Mallory Comerford. Marsh is followed closely by junior teammate Kylie Jordan, as the latter sits fifth in the ACC rankings this season.

Marsh is also keen in the 100 free as she is fourth in the ACC standings with her 48.29 from the Tennessee Invite. North Carolina’s Brooke Bauer is seventh in the ACC with her 48.76 from the Georgia Tech Invite. If Marsh does swim the 100 free, that matchup could be one of the crucial ones in the meet. Marsh is also second in the 100 back in the ACC (52.27) and fourth in the 50 free (22.12) this season, so she is capable of swimming in any sprint event and doing well.

North Carolina’s highest ranked ACC swimmers this season are Caroline Hauder in the 200 IM (6th), Bryanna Cameron in the 200 fly (6th) and Grace Countie in the 100 back (5th), as they will need all they can out of those three.

Photo Courtesy: Nat LeDonne/Duke Athletics

Duke vs. North Carolina is the only ACC vs. ACC dual meet on the weekend as (#23/19) Notre Dame will take on Michigan State in East Lansing in an ACC vs. Big Ten matchup on Saturday.

(#5/6) NC State will travel to Austin, the site of the NCAA Championships, to take on (#2/1) Texas and (#15/NR) Arizona in a huge non-conference matchup. It is a two-day duel starting Friday at 5 p.m. and concluding Saturday at 12 p.m. EST.

NC State’s men enter the weekend having won their last two regular-season matchups against the Longhorns, the last coming with a 176-116 victory over Texas in Raleigh last season.

(#19/NR) Georgia Tech will send a select number of swimmers to the Auburn Invite. Elsewhere, (#8/16) Louisville will take on (#3/11) Indiana in a huge non-conference late season matchup, that can be read in our Big Ten preview.

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Hmm...

5 years ago

Why is the entire preview about the women’s meet?