Wolfpack Volleyball Sweeps Milwaukee to Conclude Play in Michigan Challenge

Saturday, September 16

Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen Arena)

5 P.M.

NC State

5-6

Milwaukee

7-7

Team	1	2	3	Final F
Milwaukee	19	25	16	0
NC State	25	27	25	3

Photo by: Chris Baird

Wolfpack Volleyball Sweeps Milwaukee to Conclude Play in Michigan Challenge

9/16/2017 7:30:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Box Score

NC State earns fifth win in last six matches

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The NC State volleyball team earned its fifth win in its last six matches with a 3-0 (25-19, 27-25, 25-16) sweep against Milwaukee Saturday evening inside Cliff Keen Arena to conclude play in the Michigan Challenge.

The Wolfpack moves to 5-6 on the year, while Milwaukee, one of the top programs in the Horizon League, falls to 7-7.

Quoting Hampton-Keith
Overall thoughts…
"What I really like about today's performance is that while it wasn't always pretty, our team found a way to step up and make plays when it got close," said head coach Linda Hampton-Keith. "We could have easily folded and gone to extra sets but we held strong and pushed ourselves to a 3-0 sweep against a good team that challenged us in a lot of ways."

Worth Noting
- NC State has now won five of its last six matches, highlighted by four 3-0 sweeps during that span.
- Saturday's meeting was the first between the programs, as NC State grabs a 1-0 lead in the all-time series.
- The Wolfpack never trailed in the first and third sets, nor was the score tied in the third frame.

Match Rewind
- NC State opened the first set strong, as the Wolfpack jumped out to a 7-4 lead following consecutive attacking errors by Milwaukee.
- Four unanswered points by the Pack extended the advantage to 13-9 to force the Panthers to use their second timeout of the set.
- Sophomore Lauryn Terry gave NC State a 20-15 lead with a kill from the middle and freshman Melissa Evans capped the set with a kill from the right side to give the Wolfpack a 25-19 first-set win and 1-0 lead in the match.
- The Wolfpack also started well in the second set, as Evans swatted a kill from the right side to give NC State a 9-6 advantage which led to a Milwaukee timeout.
- The Panthers battled to take a 20-17 lead following a 6-1 run, but the Pack countered by winning four of the next five rallies to even the set at 21.
- Three unanswered points for NC State gave the squad set point at 24-22, but the Panthers fought off both attempts to even the tally at 24-24.
- After Milwaukee knotted the score at 25, a kill from Bree Bailey followed before a block assist from Evans and Teni Sopitan to end the set, 27-25.
- NC State was on fire to start the third set, as the Wolfpack won the first five points to race out to a 5-0 advantage.
- Milwaukee rallied to trim the deficit to 12-10, but a 5-1 run for NCSU followed to gain control of the frame at 17-11.
- The Wolfpack closed out the set on a 6-1 run, highlighted by three consecutive kills from freshman Nailah Gordon to win the frame, 25-16, and the match, 3-0.

Top Performers
- Bailey paced both teams offensively with a match-high 10 kills in the contest, while Evans notched eight kills.
- Kaitlyn Kearney swatted six kills without an error and Julia Brown pitched in with seven kills.
- Kylie Pickrell handed out 25 assists complemented by three kills, two digs, a service ace and a block.
- Defensively, libero Grace Irvin collected nine digs and Kearney tallied five blocks.

Up Next
NC State returns to action Friday evening when it opens Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) play against UNC-Chapel Hill. First serve is slated for 7 p.m. inside Reynolds Coliseum.

#STATEment