North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State Volleyball Hosts Clemson, Georgia Tech
10/13/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 13, 2005
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The NC State volleyball team wraps up a five-match homestand this weekend when it hosts ACC foes Clemson, Friday 7:00 and Georgia Tech, Saturday 5:00 in historic Reynolds Coliseum. The Wolfpack, 6-9 overall and 0-7 ACC play, are coming off a pair of home conference losses last weekend to Miami and Florida State. The Tigers (8-6, 3-3 ACC) and the Yellow Jackets (9-6, 5-1 ACC) both split with Maryland and Boston College last weekend.
Stefani Eddins led the ACC last year in blocks per game and is ranked third in the league stats this year with 1.50 blocks per game. Picking up her offensive game this season, she leads the ACC with her .421 attack percentage, which ranks in the top 10 of the NCAA. The starting senior middle blocker led NC State last week with a .405 attack pct., 18 kills and four blocks in a 3-2 loss to North Carolina, despite missing most of game four with a sore shin. She had a career high 21 kills in a 3-1 loss to Miami, with a .357 attack pct. and six blocks, including three solos, and then reached double figure kills again the next night in a 3-0 loss to Florida State, with a .320 attack pct. and three blocks.
Senior outside hitter Casey Wyatt has provided a lift for the Pack in every match this season. Beginning with the Duke match Sept. 30, Wyatt has been on fire the last five matches. During this stretch, Wyatt ranks second behind Eddins with 37 kills, a .136 attack pct., a team-best four service aces and she's started the last four of those five matches. Wyatt's improved play has boosted her season attack pct. up to .168, which ranks third on the team.
Melissa Rabe aced a serve against the Tar Heels and the Hurricanes last week and now ranks second in the ACC with 0.50 service aces per game. Additionally, Rabe led the team with 41 assists against North Carolina and 40 more versus Miami. The other junior on the club, setter Lyssa Ramirez, came off the bench against Florida State to lead the Wolfpack with 21 assists. Rabe and Ramirez have become quite a 1-2 punch for NC State, as Rabe leads the squad and ranks tenth in the ACC with 9.46 assists per game and Ramirez has taken the reins in three ACC matches.
Sophomore libero Andrea Bentley leads the team with 155 digs. She provided a team-best and career high 25 digs against North Carolina, 13 more against Miami and led the squad with 12 against Florida State, despite missing most of the first game after taking a hard hit spike to the face. Bentley also leads the squad with 160 reception attempts and has accurately passed all but 19 of those for a .881 reception pct.
Sophomore outside hitter Kelly Higgins set career highs in four different categories Saturday against Florida State. She had seven kills, a .235 attack pct., eight digs and a team-high four blocks.
