North Carolina State University Athletics
Volleyball Hosts Virginia Tech, Virginia
10/13/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 13, 2011
NC State vs. Virginia Tech (10-8, 3-4)
Series record: 8-15
Time: 7 p.m., Friday
Location: Reynolds Coliseum, Raleigh, N.C.
Gametracker | GoPack.com/All-Access
NC State vs. Virginia (7-10, 1-6)
Kay Yow Pink Game
Series record: 20-35
Time: 7 p.m., Saturday
Location: Reynolds Coliseum, Raleigh, N.C.
Gametracker | GoPack.com/All-Access
RALEIGH, N.C. -- For the second straight weekend, NC State’s volleyball team will welcome a pair of ACC opponents to Reynolds Coliseum, facing Virginia Tech on Friday and Virginia on Saturday. Both matches will begin at 7 p.m. and can be viewed for free on GoPack.com/All-Access.
Admission to both matches is free. Doors open at 6 p.m.
The Wolfpack (14-6 overall, 2-5 ACC) has played a school-record five consecutive matches of five sets, tying the ACC mark set by North Carolina in 1992. Virginia Tech also played five straight five-set matches in 1999 as a member of the Atlantic 10. It's the second school mark set this year, after winning a record 13 consecutive matches earlier this season.
The Hokies (10-8, 3-4) have also been going to the limit in recent weeks, having played three consecutive five-set matches heading into Thursday night’s contest at North Carolina.
The Hokies are led by junior middle blocker Cara Baarendse, who has notched a team-high 177 kills and a .424 hitting average. She has set new career highs (14, 15 and 16) in kills in each of the Hokies last three matches.
Since joining the ACC in 2004, the Hokies have won all 13 matches against the Wolfpack. Tech owns a 15-8 record in the series.
Virginia (7-10, 1-6) comes to town after picking up its first ACC victory last weekend against Wake Forest. The Cavaliers are led by senior outside hitter Simone Asque, who averages 3.77 kills per set and has a total of 14 service aces. She ranks third in the ACC in kills per set.
The Cavs own a 35-20 record in the series.
KAY YOW PINK GAME: Saturday’s match against the Cavaliers will be the Wolfpack’s the Kay Yow Pink Game to raise awareness for breast cancer research.
The event will honor late Hall of Fame women’s basketball coach Kay Yow, who also served as NC State’s first volleyball coach from 1975-76.
Fans are encouraged to wear pink to the contest. The Wolfpack will wear pink warm-ups during the game. Official Nike merchandise will be on sale at the match, with all proceeds going to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.
There will also be a raffle for those making a donation to win a pink warm-up suit signed by the team and an official pink volleyball.
Fans who arrive early can also pick up pink silicone wristbands and pink pompons, while supplies last.
SECOND GLASS ACT: For the second time this season, Wolfpack freshman Nicole Glass of Colorado Springs, Colo., was named the ACC Volleyball Freshman of the Week, after her performance last week against the league’s top three teams.
In three contests, the outside hitter recorded 50 kills and 53 points. Against No. 21 Miami, Glass recorded a career-high 21 kills and 21 points for the Wolfpack, while notching a hitting average of .286. She added another 19 kills against the Seminoles and 10 against the Tar Heels.
Her previous career high was 16 on Sept. 10 in a 3-0 victory over UNC Wilmington.
Glass also added three aces in the three matches, giving her a team-high total of 19 for the season.
Glass also won the Freshman of the Week award on Sept. 12 after being named most valuable player at the Hilton Garden Inn Mayfaire Tournament in Wilmington, N.C., where she led the Wolfpack to three straight wins with three consecutive matches of double-digit kills.
| Consecutive 5-Set Matches | |||
| School | No. | Most Recent | |
| NC State | 5 | 2011 | |
| Virginia Tech | 5 | 1999* | |
| North Carolina | 5 | 1992 | |
| Wake Forest | 4 | 2006 | |
| Boston College | 4 | 2004% | |
| Virginia | 4 | 2003 | |
| Maryland | 4 | 2003 | |
| Georgia Tech | 3 | 2002 | |
| Clemson | 3 | 2010 | |
| Duke | 3 | 2010 | |
| Florida State | 3 | 1991 | |
| Miami | 2 | 2010 | |
| * Member of Atlantic 10 | |||
| % Member of Big East | |||
GOING TO THE LIMIT: NC State’s five consecutive five-set matches ties the ACC record set by North Carolina in 1992, but all of the Wolfpack’s contests in this stretch have been against conference foes (Georgia Tech, Clemson, UNC, Miami and Florida State).
In the Tar Heels’ streak nearly two decades ago, they played four straight against ACC opponents (Maryland, Clemson, Georgia Tech and Duke) and the fifth against William & Mary.
Virginia Tech also played five consecutive five-set matches in 1999, as a member of the Atlantic 10. Four of those matches were against conference opponents (Fordham, Duquesne, La Salle and Temple), while the fifth was against Tennessee.
MORE AT 5: The two five-set losses last weekend to nationally ranked Miami and Florida State were the fifth and sixth five-set contests of the season. Earlier, in the Courtyard Midtown Classic against Big Ten foe Wisconsin, State fell behind 0-2 and stormed back for the win. It repeated that feat in its comeback win at Georgia Tech, and nearly did the same at Chapel Hill.
Two years ago, the Pack played in seven five-set matches, posting a 2-5 record.
WINNING WAYS: After losing its season-opening match to Appalachian State, NC State reeled off 13 consecutive wins to break a 24-year-old school record. The previous record of 12 was set by the 1987 Wolfpack en route to the ACC championship.
WORKHORSES: Two Wolfpack players have participated in all 74 sets the team has played so far this season: junior setter Megan Cyr and senior librero Kelly Wood.
Wood leads the Wolfpack with 271 digs on the season, followed by Cyr with 180.
ACES: Freshman Nicole Glass leads the team with 19 service aces. She is followed by senior Kelly Wood with 16. Others with double-figure aces include freshman Alston Kearns (15), senior Margaret Salata (12) and junior Alexa Micek (11).
HITS & MISSES: The Wolfpack had a season-high attack percentage of .441 in a 3-0 sweep of North Carolina A&T on Sept. 2 in the Courtyard Midtown Classic at Reynolds Coliseum. In its last match, a 3-2 loss to North Carolina, the Pack had a season-low .092 hitting average.
MVP THREESOME: Junior setter Megan Cyr was named the Most Valuable Player at the Wolfpack’s own Courtyard Midtown Invitational at Reynolds Coliseum, making her the Pack’s third tournament MVP in as many weeks.
Cyr had the Wolfpack’s balanced offense clicking, with three consecutive 3-0 victories over Liberty, The Citadel and Towson. In nine overall sets, the transfer from Colorado had 104 assists and nine kills.
She was joined on the all-tournament team by teammates Margaret Salata, a senior middle blocker from Buffalo Grove, Ill., and Kelly Wood, a senior librero from Yadkinville, N.C.
Sophomore Brie Merriwether was named the MVP of the Wolfpack’s first tournament of the season, the Courtyard Midtown Classic on Sept. 2-3. Teammate Luciana Shafer was also named to the all-tournament team.
Freshman Nicole Glass was named the MVP of the Hilton Garden Inn Mayfaire Tournament in Wilmington on Sept. 9-10, with senior Margaret Salata and Merriwether joining her on the all-tournament team.
ROOKIES GALORE: Following her MVP performance, freshman Nicole Glass was named the ACC Freshman of the Week for Sept. 12, becoming the first Wolfpack rookie to win the award since its inception in 2010.
Glass is one of four freshmen who have started for the Wolfpack this season, along with Rachel Buckley of Carrollton, Texas; Dariyan Hopper of Minooka, Ill.; and Alston Kearns of Apex, N.C.
In all, the Wolfpack has nine true freshmen among its 11 newcomers. Others who have seen action this season are Ana Asher of Crozet, Va.; Laura Blab of Wimberley, Texas; Rachel Frick of Charlotte; Hannah Thompson of Henderson, N.C.; and Alesha Wilson of Keller, Texas.
NC State also has one redshirt freshman, Cal-Poly transfer Katie Ryan of Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.
