UNC Fencing Heads For Duke Meet

As usual, the UNC men's and women's fencing teams will compete on the road this weekend, but for the first time this season they won't spend more time traveling than fencing. The Tar Heels join six other programs this weekend at the Duke Meet in Durham, N.C., with the men competing on Saturday and the women on Sunday.

Fencing at Card Gym, only about 10 miles from the UNC campus, begins at 9 a.m. each day. In addition to UNC and the host Blue Devils, the field includes Brandeis, Penn State, Temple (women) and Johns Hopkins (men).

Notre Dame, which has the top-ranked men's and women's teams in the country, was a late scratch due to snow that restricted travel.

"There are no easy teams, so it's going to be a pretty intense weekend," UNC coach Ron Miller said. "We're looking forward to the challenge."

In the latest CF360 coaches polls, which rank the top 10, Penn State is No. 4, Duke is No. 9, and UNC and Brandeis are both among teams receiving votes.

In the women's poll, Penn State is No. 3 and Temple is No. 7. Duke and UNC are the top two among teams receiving votes.

As always, the Tar Heels expect to see plenty of Carolina blue in the crowd at Duke. "We know we'll have lots of alums and parents there," Miller said. "It always feels like a home crowd in a way."

In most years, the Duke Meet is the closest the Tar Heels get to a home meet, but this year they still have a true home competition ahead of them. UNC will host the 2018 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships Feb. 24-25 at Carmichael Arena.

University of North Carolina Athletics

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