Kearney Breaks Program Record in Wolfpack’s 3-0 Sweep

Friday, September 18

Raleigh, N.C. (Carmichael Gym)

7:00 PM

NC State

9-1

Campbell

4-7

Campbell

NC State

Photo by: Jed Gammon

Kearney Breaks Program Record in Wolfpack’s 3-0 Sweep

9/18/2015 9:18:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

By: Justin Wilson, Assistant Athletics Communications Director

RALEIGH, N.C. – Sophomore Kaitlyn Kearney etched her name atop the NC State women's volleyball record books Friday night, as she posted a program-best .889 attacking percentage to lead the Wolfpack to a 3-0 (25-12, 25-13, 25-21) sweep against Campbell.

The Frisco, Texas, native recorded 16 kills on 18 attempts and did not commit an error to set the Wolfpack's program record for highest attacking percentage with a minimum of 15 attempts.

Kearney's .889 hitting percentage ranks second in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) record books and is among the top 20 in the NCAA.

The Wolfpack moves to 9-1 on the year, while the Camels fall to 4-7.

Match Notes
- Aside from Kearney's career night, the Wolfpack was a perfect 13-13 on sideout chances in the second set. NC State did not allow Campbell to score any points off of its serve and also did not allow consecutive points.
- NC State's offense was firing on all cylinders throughout the match, as the Pack recorded a season-high attacking percentage of .452 as a team. The total is the highest for the program since Sept. 11, 2010, when the squad hit .466 against Morehead State.
- In the second set, NC State tallied a season-high .621 attacking percentage and did not make an error in the frame.
- The 3-0 sweep was the fifth of the season for the Wolfpack.

Bunn's Beat
On today's performance…
"We did a nice job of taking care of the ball," said head coach Bryan Bunn. "We only had six errors on 84 attempts, so we did a good job of covering our hitters when they did get blocked. We need to get a little more mindful of our serving but we did a good job offensively."

On perfect percentage on sideouts in the second set (13-13):
"I don't think I've ever seen anything like that before."

Match Rewind
- NC State set the tone early in the match, as the squad jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in the first set. After Campbell battled back in the set, the Wolfpack scored 10 unanswered points to pull away, 23-11, and went on to win the frame, 25-12.
- The two teams traded points early in the second set, but an 8-2 run allowed NC State to take a 14-8 advantage to force a Campbell timeout. Following a point by the Camels, the Pack reeled off five consecutive points to lead 19-9 and cruised to a 25-13 set win.
- The Wolfpack was a perfect 13-13 on sideout chances in the second frame, as Campbell did not score consecutive points and did not score when it was serving.
- The third set was tightly contested, but NC State held the lead throughout. The Pack opened the period on a 9-3 run. With the Wolfpack leading, 22-19, Campbell scored consecutive points to trim the lead to one.
- After the NC State timeout, the Wolfpack scored three unanswered points to win the third set, 25-21, and the match, 3-0. Kearney was a perfect 7-7 in the third set.

Quoting The Players
Kaitlyn Kearney
On tonight's outing…
"I was very relaxed tonight. With all of the fans here it really made me feel at home and comfortable, and we just all worked together tonight and have done so all season. I see a big difference from last season."

On connection with Maggie Speaks…
"Maggie does very well with going back-and-forth. If the blockers are coming towards me she knows when to shoot it out, and she's also very smart with the ball she knows when to dump. Maggie is a key player on our team."

On outstanding night offensively (16 kills on 18 attempts):
"I don't think I've ever had a match like that before. I'm very happy with the way I played at the net tonight."

Top Performers
- Kearney paced the Pack with a match-high 16 kills. Senior Morgan Cormier put down eight kills to go along with a .667 attacking percentage and freshman Blayke Hranicka charted eight kills and a .500 hitting percentage. None of the three made an error on the night.
- At the setter position, junior Maggie Speaks dished out a match-high 37 assists to go along with four kills, three blocks and three digs.
- Defensively, sophomore libero Emily Harris tallied 13 digs and Cormier collected six.

Up Next
NC State will return to action on Saturday when it takes on Hampton at noon in Carmichael Gym. The Wolfpack will conclude play in the tournament against unbeaten Tennessee at 7 p.m.

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