NC State Volleyball Hosts Notre Dame, No. 23 Louisville

RALEIGH, N.C. – The NC State volleyball team returns to home action this weekend when Notre Dame and 23^rd-ranked Louisville visit Raleigh. The Wolfpack and Fighting Irish will square off at 7:30 p.m. Friday, while Sunday's contest against the Cardinals is set for 1 p.m.

Both matches will be held in Carmichael Gym on NC State's campus across from the new Talley Student Center. It will be same location where the early season tournaments were held on Carmichael courts 9-11.

The Wolfpack owns a 13-9 record on the year and a 2-8 mark in ACC play. Notre Dame is 6-16 and 1-9 in conference action, while No. 23 Louisville enters the weekend with a 16-4 record and undefeated 10-0 mark in league play.

Traffic Advisory Due to Homecoming Parade & City Of Oaks Marathon
NC State's annual Homecoming Parade will begin at 5:30 p.m. on campus Friday. Fans attending the volleyball match should approach the Reynolds Coliseum Parking Deck or Carmichael Gym from Western Boulevard and turn on Morrill Drive or either Pullen Road.

Hillsborough Street and Dan Allen Drive will be closed until after the conclusion of the parade at approximately 7 p.m.

Sunday Hillsborough Street will also be closed due to the City of Oaks Marathon. Patrons are encouraged to enter campus from Morrill Drive off Western Boulevard.

Match Promotions
Fans are encouraged to wear costumes to Friday night's match, as free candy will be available to patrons entering the match.

Sunday the Wolfpack will host beach day with free NC State Wolfpack beach towels while supplies last.

Last Time Out
In its last outing, the Wolfpack dropped a 3-0 decision on the road at Georgia Tech. It was just the third time this season that NC State has been swept.

Leading The Way
Sophomore middle blocker Kaitlyn Kearney continues to lead NC State offensively this season with 228 kills, an average of 2.85 kills per set. Freshman Blayke Hranicka is second on the squad with 208 kills or 2.57 kills per set.

Junior Maggie Speaks paces the squad with 10.43 assists per set, the third best in the ACC. Defensively, junior libero Rachel Eppley leads the Pack with 3.82 digs per set, which ranks among the top 10 in the conference.

All About That ACE
NC State continues to lead the ACC and remain ranked among the NCAA in service aces. The Wolfpack has tallied 1.67 aces per set, which ranks 18^th in the nation and leads the conference.

Senior Morgan Cormier is third in the league with 0.41 aces per set to occupy 35^th in the NCAA.

Lucky Number Three
The Wolfpack has been great in the third set this season, as a result of adjustments made during the intermission after the second set.

In 22 matches played this season, NC State has only lost the third set five times. The Wolfpack is outscoring opponents, 540-438 in the frame, the greatest differential in any set.

Scouting Notre Dame
Notre Dame is in its first season under new head coach Jim McLaughlin. The Fighting Irish have a 6-16 overall record and a 1-9 clip in ACC action. In road matches, the squad is 2-5 on the year.

NC State and Notre Dame have met four times in the history of the programs, with the Wolfpack winning both contests as conference opponents. Last season, the Pack earned a 3-0 sweep at Notre Dame.

Sam Fry leads the Fighting Irish offensively with 254 kills, an average of 3.06 kills per set. Maddie Dilfer and Taylor Zwicki have split time at the setter position, with the former handing out 8.23 assists per set and the latter 5.56 aps. Defensively, libero Ryann DeJarld headlines the group with 3.90 digs per set.

As a team, Notre Dame has a .166 attacking percentage and opponents have compiled a .236 clip.

Scouting No. 23 Louisville
The Louisville Cardinals have been firing on all cylinders in ACC play and head to North Carolina with a perfect 10-0 mark in league action and have won 10 straight matches. The Cards will take on UNC-Chapel Hill prior to its matchup with NC State Sunday.

Louisville and NC State have met twice with the Cardinals earning a five-set win in each contest held in Raleigh.

The Cardinals boast one of the top offenses in the ACC, leading the league in kills per set (14.75) and assists per set (13.88). Louisville also has the second-best hitting percentage at .263 and defensively, owns the best opponent hitting percentage with a .161 clip and is second in digs per set with 16.62.

Senior Erin Fairs leads the offense with 288 kills, an average of 4.00 kills per set, good for second in the ACC. Classmate Katie George owns the most assists per set in the conference at 12.10. Defensively, Molly Sauer has collected 4.57 digs per set, which ranks fifth in the conference.

NC State Volleyball Hosts Notre Dame, No. 23 Louisville

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Players Mentioned

Morgan Cormier

Rachel Eppley

Blayke Hranicka

Kaitlyn Kearney

Maggie Speaks