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August 24, 2024
Raleigh, NC– On a beautiful Saturday afternoon at WIlliam Reynolds Colisuem, the NC State Women’s Volleyball team played host to the Davidson Wildcats in a season-opening exhibition match to kick off the 2024 season. The Wildcats are coming off a 19-10 regular season finish in which they went 11-7 in the Atlantic 10.
The Wolfpack are coming off an impressive 2023 campaign that saw them finish the season 22-7 overall and 12-6 overall in the ACC. Coach Luka Slabe enters his 5th season at the helm for the Wolfpack who are looking to compete for the ACC title. NC State returns several key players in Ava Brizard who led the team in kills in 2023 along her way to setting several school records. Also returning are seniors Jada Allen and Amanda Rice who were also key to the success of the Pack in 2023.
The first set was a back-and-forth affair, and the 2 teams traded points frequently until the Pack took 5 of the next 6 points to take a 15-10 lead midway through the first set. Martyna Leoniak and Amanda Rice led the way with 2 kills each. The lead extended to 17-11 after the media timeout as the Wolfpack took control of the set. NC State took a 23-16 lead leading to a Wildcat timeout. The Wolfpack would go on to close out the set with a 25-19 set victory.
NC State started the second set with an early rush to take a quick 7-3 lead. The Wildcats responded with 2 straight points to cut the lead to 7-5. The Wolfpack would hold a 2 point lead up until the media timeout holding a 15-13 lead. After the timeout, both teams would trade points until the Wolfpack hammered down a huge block at the net to take an 18-15 lead. The Wildcats would take 5 of the next 8 points to cut the lead to 21-20. The Wildcats would take the lead 23-21 win after winning the next 3 points leading to an NC State timeout. The Wildcats would go on to take the second set 25-21 to tie the match at 1 set each. Rice and Leoniak continued to pace the Wolfpack with 7 kills and 4 kills respectively.
The third set started with a 4-1 lead for the Pack after 2 blocks led to an early lead. The Wolfpack would push the lead to 11-6 with several well-placed kills by Rice and Brizard. NC State would carry a 15-8 lead at the media timeout after continuing to put pressure on the Wildcats. The lead would swell to 19-8 after an ace by Ava Brizard leading to a Wildcat timeout. After the timeout, the Wolfpack would finish off the set with 6 of the next 7 points to earn the 25-9 set win to take a 2 set to 1 advantage.
Amanda Rice continued to lead the Pack offensively with 10 kills and a great third set from Junior Ava Brizard led to her finishing with 5 kills of her own. Newcomer Sophia Groom and Amanda Rice led the defense attack with 8 blocks and 6 blocks respectively.
The 4th set started much like the 3rd as the Wolfpack started with a flurry of points early to take a 7-1 lead that led to an early Wildcat timeout. After the timeout, Courtney Bryant served the Pack to 5 straight points to balloon the lead. The Pack would go on to win the set 25-9 again. NC State would score 50 of the last 68 points in the match to earn a dominant opening win. Full stats below are courtesy of Statbroadcast.
Next up for NC State is a date with the 12th Ranked Creighton Blue Jays on Friday August 30th at 6 PM EST in Omaha.
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