North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State Volleyball Host Outback Wolfpack Classic
9/5/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Action begins on Friday at 4:30 p.m. when Charlotte takes on Wichita State, while NC State and Kentucky will follow at 7 p.m. On Saturday, Charlotte will play Kentucky at 10 a.m., followed by NC State vs. Wichita State at 12:30 p.m., Kentucky vs. Wichita State at 4:30 p.m., and NC State vs. Charlotte at 7 p.m.
Thus far for the Wolfpack, it has been the story of its underclassmen stepping up and showing promise. Sophomore middle blocker Sarah Ensminger has a hitting percentage of .258, second-best on the team, and averages 2.28 kills a game. Meanwhile, freshman Amy Cochran has already begun to make a name for herself as a potential offensive threat for NC State. Cochran not only has a team-best hitting percentage of .259, but also leads the team in kills with 43, is tied with Ensminger for first in service aces (9), and is second in digs (32).
Charlotte (2-1) has wins over East Tennessee State and Southern Methodist. Junior Jessica Kelly has proven to be a danger offensively, sporting a .410 percentage and an average of 3.10 kills per game. Defensively, the 49ers have managed to hold their opponents to a mere .145 team hitting percentage.
Kentucky enters the weekend at 1-2 after suffering a 1-3 defeat to Hofstra on Friday. The Wildcats are led by junior Sissy Canfield, who has a .407 percentage through 10 games played.
Wichita State is also looking to snap a losing streak. Suffering back-to-back losses to Miami (Fla.) and No. 25 Kansas State, both in three games, the Shockers will look to junior Kiley Randolph to step up and lead WSU to victory. Randolph leads the Shockers with a percentage of .259, while totaling 25 blocks and nine digs defensively.
