North Carolina State University Athletics
Volleyball Takes First Steps in Red & White Scrimmage
8/19/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Raleigh, N.C. - The NC State volleyball program officially got the ball rolling on a new team and season, with the Red & White scrimmage on Saturday, Aug. 19, at Reynolds Coliseum on the NC State campus. The Pack welcomed back six letterwinners from last season, while introducing 10 newcomers. In addition to the student-athletes, head coach Charita J. Stubbs, as well as her assistants Keisha J. Demps and Eduardo Fiallos, made their official coaching debuts in Wolfpack red.
“We saw a lot of good things today,” said Stubbs. “A lot of the kids stepped up and handled the pressure very well.”
The scrimmage offered a snapshot of the new look Wolfpack, with several players showing plenty of promise on the floor. Junior Andrea Bentley had 13 service aces and 13 digs, while sophomore Kelley Blakewood offered four service aces and 17 digs of her own. Freshman Chrissy Zirpolo added 16 kills and 17 digs, while fellow freshman Keri DeMar posted 15 kills.
In all, the Red team had four student-athletes in double digits.
The 2006 Pack returns six letterwinners from last season: seniors Melissa Rabe and Lyssa Ramierez, sophomores Blakewood and Aiwane Iboaya, and juniors Bentley and Ashley Wallace.
Alongside the veterans, 10 newcomers round out the roster: senior Kasey Rhyne, sophomore transfers Victoria Bryant, Keisha Raibon and Jessica Williams, and freshmen Jessica Chew, Allison Davis, DeMar, Kim Watson, Janay Yancey and Zirpolo.
“Today was a great opportunity for us to get out on the floor and continue to get better,” said Stubbs. “We’d like to thank all of the Wolfpack fans, friends and family that came out and supported us.”
NC State will open the 2006 season on Friday, Aug. 25 at the Spring Hill Suites Classic in Charlotte, N.C. The Pack will host its own home tournament, the Wolfpack Classic, Friday, Sept. 1 through Saturday, Sept. 2. at Reynolds Coliseum.
Stayed tuned to GoPack.com for more up-to-date info on Wolfpack volleyball.
