North Carolina State University Athletics
State Volleyball Prepped for Home Opener on Friday
9/4/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Tournament Central Page | Live Stream for NCSU Matches (FREE)
RALEIGH, N.C. – The NC State women’s volleyball team will take the court in Reynolds Coliseum for the first time this season when it hosts the Courtyard Midtown Classic this weekend. The Wolfpack opens its home slate against Rice at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 5.
State will face Toledo in its first match on Saturday, Sept. 6, before returning to the court later that evening to take on the UCONN Huskies at 7 p.m.
Weekend Promotions
The first 150 fans into Friday's match will receive a free NC State volleyball tshirt with the Wolfpack's 2014 home schedule on the back. It is also a Student Wolfpack Club point event. Tshirts will also be thrown into the crowd after each set in which a service ace is recorded for State. Posters and schedule cards will also be available.
Last Time Out
The Wolfpack opened the season by posting a 2-1 mark in the UNCW Hilton Garden Inn Mayfaire Classic. NC State dropped the opener to Eastern Washington, 3-2, but bounced back with a 3-1 win against Fairfield and a 3-2 victory against host UNCW.
That SPEAKS Volumes
Sophomore setter Maggie Speaks had a great first weekend of the season, averaging 34.33 assists per match and 7.36 assists per set. She dished out a career high 42 assists in the season opener against Eastern Washington and followed that performance with 25 and 36 versus Fairfield and UNCW, respectively.
The Camden, S.C., native also chipped in defensively with double-digit digs in two contests last weekend to record her first career double-double. She finished just three kills shy of a triple double against EWU.
For her efforts, she was named to the UNCW all-tournament team, the first such honor of her young career.
Bunn In Home Openers
Head coach Bryan Bunn has never lost a home opener in his tenure with the Wolfpack, recording a perfect 4-0 mark.
Youth Movement
Two of the Wolfpack’s talented freshmen started in the first match of their collegiate careers. Middle blocker Kaitlyn Kearney and outside hitter Perry Ramsey earned the nod last Friday against EWU.
Kearney showed few signs of inexperience in the contest, as she tied for the team high in kills with 13. Ramsey chipped in with four kills in her first collegiate action.
Other rookies to tally their first career start over the weekend were outside hitter Julia Brown and defensive specialist Emily Harris.
Scouting Rice
The Rice Owls enter the weekend with a 2-2 record on the year, after dropping a 3-1 decision to the Baylor Bears in their last outing on Tuesday. NC State and Rice have met three times in the history of the two programs with the Wolfpack owning a 2-1 advantage in the series.
Last season, State claimed a 3-1 win over the Owls in Houston, Texas, at the Rice Invitational.
Redshirt sophomore outside hitter Leah Mikesky leads the squad offensively with 54 kills on the season, while senior libero Daniela Arenas paces the Owls defensively with 58 digs.
Scouting Toledo
Toledo makes the trip down to Raleigh with an 0-3 record on the young season, following a tough first weekend of play. The Rockets lost to West Virginia, IUPUI and BYU in the opening weekend of competition.
The Wolfpack and Rockets have met only one time in history with NC State earning a 3-0 victory in 1989.
Alyssa Ehrhardt, a sophomore outside hitter, leads the Rockets’ offensive attack with 22 kills and freshman Lauren Bakaitis headlines the squad’s defensive output with 36 digs.
Scouting UCONN
The UCONN Huskies enter the weekend with a 2-1 record on the season after defeating New Hampshire and Central Connecticut, prior to a 3-2 lost against Indiana.
NC State and UCONN have met just two times on the women’s volleyball court, with the Huskies owning a 2-0 mark in the series. The Pack dropped the last meeting between the two teams in 1999, a 3-1 loss.
Offensively, UCONN is led by senior Devon Maugle with 41 kills in 2014, while classmate Brianna Datti paces the squad in digs with 65.
#GoPack
