North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State
12-1, 1-0ACC
Syracuse
7-6, 0-1ACC
Wolfpack Completes Perfect September; Sweeps Syracuse, 3-0
9/26/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
RALEIGH, N.C. - The NC State women's volleyball team put the finishing touches on a perfect month of September with a 3-0 (25-11, 25-19, 25-21) win against Syracuse in the ACC opener for both squads Friday evening inside Reynolds Coliseum. With the win, the Wolfpack extended its win streak to 12 and completed play in the month of September undefeated at 10-0.
NC State improves to 12-1 on the season and 1-0 in ACC play, while Syracuse falls to 7-6 and 0-1.
Bunn’s Beat
Opening Statement…
“We played really well tonight,” said head coach Bryan Bunn. “Offensively we were clicking and we did a good job of stopping a very good offensive team, so it was a good effort all the way around for us.”
On the play of freshman Kaitlyn Kearney and Perry Ramsey…
“I thought they were very poised in their first ACC match for freshmen. They’d make an error and then bounce right back with a kill. They’ve seen a lot of action for us this season, so they’re really not freshmen anymore they have some experience.”
On the Wolfpack’s serving…
“We took them out of their offense. We served so tough that they couldn’t run their offense and we were getting them out of system, which limits a team’s effectiveness on offense.”
Worth Noting
- The Wolfpack opened ACC play with a win for the third time in Bunn’s five-year tenure as head coach.
- NC State recorded a hitting percentage of .287 as a team, while limiting Syracuse to a .105 clip.
- The Pack improved to 9-0 on the season when holding its opponent to an attacking percentage below .200.
- State’s 12-match winning streak is just one shy of the program record of 13, set by the 2011 squad.
Match Rewind
- In the first set, State roared out to a 7-2 lead forcing Syracuse to use its first timeout of the frame. The Wolfpack closed out the frame on a 9-0 run and scored 11 of the last 12 points in the set. The score was tied early in the set, 1-1, but NC State held the advantage for the remainder of the period to win it, 25-11.
- Freshmen Kaitlyn Kearney and Perry Ramsey paced the squad in the first set with five and four kills, respectively. Kearney also notched three blocks in the frame.
- Syracuse held an early lead in the second set, but a kill by redshirt sophomore Morgan Cormier knotted the score at six. State took the lead later in the frame, 12-11, and never relinquished it en route to a 25-19 decision.
- Ramsey had an excellent second set, putting down seven kills with a .750 hitting percentage. She smacked the last five kills for the Wolfpack in the set.
- The two teams battled throughout the third set with the score being tied four different times. A 4-0 run by the Wolfpack stretched its lead to 13-10 and it held on to win the set, 25-21.
Key Performers
- Ramsey led the Wolfpack’s offensive attack with a match-high 14 kills and a .417 attacking percentage. Kearney also reached double figures with 12 and a .450 hitting percentage.
- Sophomore Maggie Speaks dished out 30 assists from her setter position and also collected four kills, three digs and two blocks.
- Defensively, senior Alston Kearns paced the Pack in digs for the eighth consecutive match with 12 against the Orange. Sophomores Rachel Eppley and Maddie Brown chipped in with eight and seven, respectively. Brown also had a match-best three service aces.
Up Next
The Wolfpack will return to action on Friday, Oct. 3, when it travels to in-state foe Wake Forest. First serve is slated for 6:30 p.m.
