Volleyball Heads North for Matches at Boston College, Syracuse

RALEIGH, N.C. – The NC State volleyball team will head north this weekend for a pair of ACC matches at Boston College and Syracuse. Friday the Wolfpack will take on the Eagles at 7:30 p.m. and face the Orange at 2 p.m. Sunday.

The Pack enters the weekend with a 14-10 record and 3-9 mark in conference play, while the Eagles are 10-14 and 2-10. Syracuse is the owner of a 17-6 ledger and an 8-4 mark in league action.

Last Time Out
In its last outing, NC State dropped a 3-0 decision at home against 23^rd-ranked Louisville.

Leading The Way
Sophomore middle blocker Kaitlyn Kearney continues to lead NC State offensively this season with 249 kills, an average of 2.83 kills per set. Freshman Blayke Hranicka is second on the squad with 233 kills or 2.62 kills per set.

Freshman Becky Porter has led the Wolfpack in assists the last two matches and is averaging 9.11 assists per set this season. Defensively, junior libero Rachel Eppley paces the Pack with 3.98 digs per set, which ranks among the top 10 in the conference.

Serve Hard, Serve Tough
NC State ranks 23^rd in the NCAA and leads the ACC with 1.63 service aces per set. The Wolfpack averages 6.04 aces per match, highlighted by a season-high 11 in a 3-1 win against Jacksonville.

Senior Morgan Cormier is fourth in the conference with 0.39 aces per set, which ranks near the top 50 of the NCAA.

Making Adjustments
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 24 matches played this season, NC State has only lost the third set six times. The Wolfpack is outscoring opponents, 583-481 in the frame, the greatest differential in any set.

Scouting Boston College
The Boston College Eagles enter the weekend with a 10-14 overall record and a 2-10 clip in ACC play. Despite the conference mark, BC has played nearly every team close but has been edged out towards the end of a set.

In their last outing, the Eagles dropped a 3-1 decision at home against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

NC State has won the last seven meetings against Boston College, including a 3-1 win last year in Reynolds Coliseum.

The Wolfpack will have its hands full, as BC senior outside hitter Katty Workman leads the ACC with 4.09 kills per set. At the setter position, Mallori Moffat has handed out 8.14 assists per set and libero Madisen Lydon has charted 3.74 digs per set.

As a team, Boston College has a hitting percentage of .202, while opponents have been limited to a .204 clip.

Scouting Syracuse
Syracuse has been rolling in 2015 and owns a 17-6 overall record and an 8-4 mark in ACC play to occupy sixth place. The Orange defeated Clemson, 3-1, in its last outing of the season.

Last season, NC State and Syracuse met only once with the Wolfpack winning 3-0 in Reynolds Coliseum. The Wolfpack also won the lone matchup in 2013, so the squad hasn't loss to the 'Cuse as a conference opponent and is 6-1 all-time against the Orange.

Moniks Salkute and Silvi Uattara headline a balanced offensive attack for Syracuse, with the former swatting 2.84 kills per set and the latter 2.84 kps. At the setter position, Gosia Wlaszczuk has dished out 8.49 assists per set. Defensively, Belle Sand has tallied 3.87 digs per set.

Collectively, Syracuse has a team hitting percentage of .245 while opponents have been limited to a .165 clip.

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Volleyball Heads North for Matches at Boston College, Syracuse

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Players Mentioned

Morgan Cormier

Rachel Eppley

Blayke Hranicka

Kaitlyn Kearney

Becky Porter