Duquesne is in Pullman this weekend, and that matters more than the name on the other jersey. This is Wazzu's first home test, and after a nonconference run that ended with a narrow win over Seattle U and a loss to Long Beach State that stung a little more than usual, we need to see what this team is made of when the lights are on in Bohler. The Cougs finished that stretch clean on paper, but the Cougs finish nonconference clean, hang on to beat Seattle U 2-1 headline tells you exactly what it was: a hang-on. They got the job done, but nobody walked out of that one feeling bulletproof. Then came the Long Beach State loss, where the Palouse magic everyone counts on just didn't show up. Long Beach State hands Cougs an L, no Palouse magic this time was the kind of game that leaves you wondering if the team is still figuring out its identity or if that's just who they are right now.
Here is the take you can text a friend: this Duquesne game tells us whether the Cougs learned anything from that Long Beach State loss or if they are going to keep playing tight at home. The Dukes are not a name that scares you, but they are a real opponent rolling into town for the first real test of the season. That Seattle U game showed the Cougs can find a way when it gets ugly, but the Long Beach State game showed they can also let one slip when the other team doesn't back down. The Doubles point locked in early as Cougs clean up to open the weekend piece from earlier this season reminded us that when this team starts fast, they tend to finish clean. The question is whether they can carry that into a home match that actually has stakes attached.
The practical thing here is simple. Win this one, and the Cougs prove that nonconference was just warm-up. Lose it, and you start wondering if the home crowd can still be the difference maker it used to be. Pullman is not an easy place to play, but that only works if the team on the court makes it feel that way. Duquesne is not going to be intimidated by the trip. They are coming in with nothing to lose. The Cougs need to hit first, hold the service games, and not let the match get into the kind of grind where one bad point turns into two. Watch the doubles point. If they lock that in early like they did to open the weekend before, that sets the tone. If they drop it and have to chase the match, we have already seen how that script goes.