Sunday, November 20
Raleigh, N.C.
2 P.M.
NC State
18-12, 11-7ACC
3
vs
2
Virginia
7-23, 4-14ACC
1
2
3
4
5
F
Virginia
16
23
26
25
12
2
NC State
25
25
24
23
15
3
Photo by: Greg Mintel
Eppley Breaks Program Record in Wolfpack’s Five-Set Win
11/20/2016 6:11:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
RALEIGH, N.C. – Senior Rachel Eppley tallied a career best six service aces to break the NC State rally-scoring era program record for aces in an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) match, as the Wolfpack held on for a five-set (3-2: 25-16, 25-23, 24-26, 23-25, 15-12) win against the Virginia Cavaliers Sunday afternoon inside Reynolds Coliseum.
The Wolfpack improves to 18-12 on the year and 11-7 in ACC play, guaranteeing a winning season in conference play for the first time since 2013. Virginia falls to 7-23 and 4-14 in league action.
Worth Noting
- Eppley's six aces in the contest are tied for the most by an individual in the ACC this season.
- It is also the breaks the program's previous mark (4) for aces in a conference match during the rally-scoring era.
- The Charlotte, N.C., native now has 113 aces for her career, just the second player in the program's rally-scoring era to reach 100, and needs just eight to tie or nine to break the NC State rally-scoring record for career aces.
- Additionally, her mark matches the program record for aces by an individual in the rally-scoring era along with Nikki Sweet, who had six against Campbell in 2007.
- NC State's Julia Brown and Maggie Speaks each recorded double-double performances in the contest.
- The seesaw battle featured 38 ties and 14 lead changes in the contest.
Quoting Hampton-Keith
Overall thoughts…
"We're really happy with how we were able to recover in the fifth set, after winning the first two and then losing the next two set in very close battles," said head coach Linda Hampton-Keith. "We put that behind us and were able to really dig in during that fifth set and it was a fun match to be a part of."
On the intensity during the match…
"It's getting close to the end of the season and every team is battling and giving it their all this time of year. It was an intense match and you have to be able to take the emotion of out and focus on doing your job and doing it well. As emotional as the matches get, you have to be able to keep it in check and move on."
Match Rewind
- NC State enjoyed a very strong first set, as the Wolfpack pulled away late in the frame to earn a 25-16 first-set win.
- The Wolfpack charted 16 kills in the frame with only one error on 28 attempts to record a match-high .586 hitting percentage for the set.
- There were 10 ties early in the set, but NC State used a 7-0 run to grab a 17-11 lead.
- Sophomore Teni Sopitan ended the first with back-to-back kills, as NCSU closed out the set by winning six of the final eight points.
- In the second set, the Pack jumped out to an 11-4 advantage resulting in a timeout by Virginia.
- The Cavaliers fought back in the set and took a 19-17 lead with three unanswered points.
- With the score tied at 23-23, NC State received an attacking error by UVA and an ace by Eppley to claim the frame, 25-23 to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
- The third set featured nine ties and five lead changes.
- NC State scored six consecutive points to take an 18-16 lead, but Virginia countered with a 4-0 run to own a 20-18 advantage.
- The Pack fought off two set-point opportunities to knot the score at 24, unfortunately a couple kills followed to give the Cavs a 26-24 third-set victory.
- Virginia led throughout most of the fourth set, but a 5-0 run helped NC State even the score at 22-22.
- From there, the Cavaliers won three of the next four rallies to win the frame, 25-23, and force a decisive fifth set.
- A kill by Sopitan and a couple attacking errors by Virginia allowed NC State to have an early 4-2 lead.
- Virginia tied the score at seven, but the Wolfpack answered with four consecutive points to take an 11-7 lead.
- The Cavaliers would not go away; however, rallying to even the score at 11-11 with a 4-0 run of their own.
- Fortunately, NC State closed out the set by winning four of the final five points to win the fifth set, 15-12, and the match, 3-2.
Top Performers
- Sopitan led the Wolfpack offensively with 16 kills, while Brown and Sarah Konchan each chipped in with 11.
- Kaitlyn Kearney put down 10 kills and freshman Jessica Kemp also reached double digits with 10 as well, to record a career best.
- At the setter position, Speaks dished out 50 assists in addition to a match-high 16 digs for her 14th double-double performance.
- Defensively, Perry Ramsey collected 13 digs along with Brown, and Eppley pitched in with 12. Freshman Grace Irvin tallied 10 digs and Kassie Kasper logged six.
Up Next
NC Sate returns to action Wednesday evening when it hosts Wake Forest inside Reynolds Coliseum. First serve is slated for 6 p.m. and the contest will be broadcast live on the ACC Network Extra.
#STATEment
The Wolfpack improves to 18-12 on the year and 11-7 in ACC play, guaranteeing a winning season in conference play for the first time since 2013. Virginia falls to 7-23 and 4-14 in league action.
Worth Noting
- Eppley's six aces in the contest are tied for the most by an individual in the ACC this season.
- It is also the breaks the program's previous mark (4) for aces in a conference match during the rally-scoring era.
- The Charlotte, N.C., native now has 113 aces for her career, just the second player in the program's rally-scoring era to reach 100, and needs just eight to tie or nine to break the NC State rally-scoring record for career aces.
- Additionally, her mark matches the program record for aces by an individual in the rally-scoring era along with Nikki Sweet, who had six against Campbell in 2007.
- NC State's Julia Brown and Maggie Speaks each recorded double-double performances in the contest.
- The seesaw battle featured 38 ties and 14 lead changes in the contest.
Quoting Hampton-Keith
Overall thoughts…
"We're really happy with how we were able to recover in the fifth set, after winning the first two and then losing the next two set in very close battles," said head coach Linda Hampton-Keith. "We put that behind us and were able to really dig in during that fifth set and it was a fun match to be a part of."
On the intensity during the match…
"It's getting close to the end of the season and every team is battling and giving it their all this time of year. It was an intense match and you have to be able to take the emotion of out and focus on doing your job and doing it well. As emotional as the matches get, you have to be able to keep it in check and move on."
Match Rewind
- NC State enjoyed a very strong first set, as the Wolfpack pulled away late in the frame to earn a 25-16 first-set win.
- The Wolfpack charted 16 kills in the frame with only one error on 28 attempts to record a match-high .586 hitting percentage for the set.
- There were 10 ties early in the set, but NC State used a 7-0 run to grab a 17-11 lead.
- Sophomore Teni Sopitan ended the first with back-to-back kills, as NCSU closed out the set by winning six of the final eight points.
- In the second set, the Pack jumped out to an 11-4 advantage resulting in a timeout by Virginia.
- The Cavaliers fought back in the set and took a 19-17 lead with three unanswered points.
- With the score tied at 23-23, NC State received an attacking error by UVA and an ace by Eppley to claim the frame, 25-23 to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
- The third set featured nine ties and five lead changes.
- NC State scored six consecutive points to take an 18-16 lead, but Virginia countered with a 4-0 run to own a 20-18 advantage.
- The Pack fought off two set-point opportunities to knot the score at 24, unfortunately a couple kills followed to give the Cavs a 26-24 third-set victory.
- Virginia led throughout most of the fourth set, but a 5-0 run helped NC State even the score at 22-22.
- From there, the Cavaliers won three of the next four rallies to win the frame, 25-23, and force a decisive fifth set.
- A kill by Sopitan and a couple attacking errors by Virginia allowed NC State to have an early 4-2 lead.
- Virginia tied the score at seven, but the Wolfpack answered with four consecutive points to take an 11-7 lead.
- The Cavaliers would not go away; however, rallying to even the score at 11-11 with a 4-0 run of their own.
- Fortunately, NC State closed out the set by winning four of the final five points to win the fifth set, 15-12, and the match, 3-2.
Top Performers
- Sopitan led the Wolfpack offensively with 16 kills, while Brown and Sarah Konchan each chipped in with 11.
- Kaitlyn Kearney put down 10 kills and freshman Jessica Kemp also reached double digits with 10 as well, to record a career best.
- At the setter position, Speaks dished out 50 assists in addition to a match-high 16 digs for her 14th double-double performance.
- Defensively, Perry Ramsey collected 13 digs along with Brown, and Eppley pitched in with 12. Freshman Grace Irvin tallied 10 digs and Kassie Kasper logged six.
Up Next
NC Sate returns to action Wednesday evening when it hosts Wake Forest inside Reynolds Coliseum. First serve is slated for 6 p.m. and the contest will be broadcast live on the ACC Network Extra.
#STATEment
Team Stats
VA
ST
Kills
65
64
Errors
24
23
Attempts
173
158
Hitting %
.237
.259
Points
83.0
84.0
Assists
59
57
Aces
3
9
Blocks
15.0
11.0
Game Leaders
Kills
16
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
11
Aces
1
Blocks
3
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
10
Aces
0
Blocks
6
Players Mentioned
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