North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack Volleyball Takes On Rival Tar Heels Friday
10/2/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
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The NC State volleyball team will host rival North Carolina on Friday night in Reynolds Coliseum. The Wolfpack (6-10, 0-3 ACC) is hoping to grab its first conference victory of the 2003 season, while the Tar Heels (11-5, 2-1) are looking to bounce back from a 3-0 loss to No. 5 Georgia Tech. Match time is set for 7 p.m.
Playing in her first-ever match against UNC, freshman Julia Reis will be counted on to help spark NC State's offensive attack. Already, the 5-9 outside hitter from Belo Horizonte, Brazil leads the Wolfpack in kills with 190 off a .221 attack percentage. Reis also has tallied a team-best 19 service aces and is second in digs with 167. Also stepping up offensively for NC State are juniors Maya Mapp and Melanie Rowe, who have recorded 141 and 111 kills respectively thus far.
Dishing out to head coach Mary Byrne's offensive weapons is setter Crystal Shannon. The 5-9 Shannon has exhibited true senior leadership, racking up 601 assists, an average of 10.54 assists per game. That mark is currently ranks fourth among ACC setters. For her career, Shannon, who enters Friday's match with 2,004 career assists, only needs 356 more to take over sole possession of fifth place for the most assists in a career at NC State. The Wolfpack's defense is headed up by senior libero Caroline Frede, whose 185 digs is a team-best and ranks 10th in the conference. Meanwhile, Mapp and junior Paige Gilliam have already combined for 99 total blocks.
The Tar Heels feature four players who have posted over 100 kills each thus far. Junior outside hitter Molly Pyles leads UNC's attack with a team-best 204 kills to go with 130 digs. Meanwhile, sophomore outside hitter Dani Nyenhuis, junior middle blocker Katie Wright and senior middle blocker Aletha Green also have weighed in on the offensive side of the net, recording 155, 153 and 125 kills respectively. Setters McKenzie Byrd and Norma Cortez have combined for 658 assists thus far, and defensive specialist Caroline deRoeck leads the team in digs with 209.
