North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State
Western Carolina
Volleyball Finishes Opening Weekend 3-0
8/28/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Aug. 28, 2010
CULLOWHEE, N.C. -
NC State defeated Western Carolina 3-0 Saturday, Aug. 28 in the final game of the Western Carolina Tournament. The victory capped off a winning weekend for the Wolfpack, where the squad went 3-0 and did not lose a set. This marks the first time since 1995 that NC State has gone 3-0 to begin the season, and moves the Pack to 10-0 all time versus the Catamounts.
“We saw a number of good things on the court this weekend,” says first year head coach Bryan Bunn. “It is always good to start off with three wins, but we have a long way to go to get where we want to be.”
Alex Smith once again led the Pack offensively, scoring 14 kills while hitting at a .520 clip. She also contributed seven digs, two assists, and one solo block to the winning effort, and was named MVP of the tournament, a first for her career.
Margaret Salata made a dent in the offense as well, adding nine kills to the team total of 44. Salata also earned five blocks on the match, one of which was a solo effort, and scored two service aces en route to an all-tournament team nod. Megan Cyr led the Wolfpack in assists for the third straight match, dishing out 40, a season best. She was also the third Pack player to receive all-tournament honors.
Kelly Wood and Luciana Shafer paced the Wolfpack defensively, gathering 13 digs each. Cyr added nine of her own, and three other players contributed seven to the overall team defensive effort.
The Pack got off to a slow start in the first set, batting the Catamounts evenly before finally beginning to pull away and winning 25-16. The second set was a different story—the Wolfpack started well, pulling out to a 10-1 lead, forcing Western Carolina to call a timeout. The dominance continued as NC State led 18-4, and ultimately won the set 25-14. The final set was much of the same, with the Pack winning by a 25-15 mark.
NC State returns to action Friday, Sept. 3 at 6 p.m to take on Illinois State in Bloomington, Ind. The Wolfpack will also face Arkansas State and Indiana as a part of the Indiana Tournament.
