Pack Falls to Duke After Long Battle, Rice Sets New Career High

Friday, October 27

Durham, NC

6:30pm

NC State

16-6,6-5ACC

Duke

15-8,6-6ACC

NC State

Duke

Pack Falls to Duke After Long Battle, Rice Sets New Career High

10/27/2023 9:30:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

DURHAM, N.C. – Junior Amanda Rice paced the Wolfpack with 27 kills in the team's 3-2 loss at Duke, making her the first member of the Pack since 2012 to record more than 26 kills in a single match.

The opposite recorded only five errors on 50 attempts to finish the evening with a .440 hitting percentage. She is also the second member of the Pack this season to hit at least 25 kills in a single match.

To start the meeting, the Blue Devils took set one after a 7-1 scoring run, despite the efforts of the Pack to minimize their lead.

NC State trailed to open set two, but gained momentum with sophomore Ava Brizard behind the service line. The outside hitter helped the Pack to five straight points, highlighted by two aces. With the Wolfpack leading 15-10, the Blue Devils found a chance to regroup in the media timeout. Duke managed to rally back to come within one of the Pack, but NC State continued to dominate. The Pack took set two, 25-21, after Brizard tied a career high three aces to end it.

The third set was a battle for the two teams, featuring several long rallies. The Pack minimized the Blue Devils lead to one, 16-15, after some assistance from the net – a dig by Rice went into the net and then a set by Jada Allen before Courtney Bryant hit it over. But Duke managed to take the set 25-22 and regain the overall lead, 2-1.

The Pack wasn't done as they battled to take the fourth set. As the Pack recorded its 12th point of the set, Rice tied her career high of 18 kills. On the team's 20th point of the evening, she set a new career high and ended the fourth set with 22 kills total and only five errors on 44 attempts. Duke thought they extended the set after scoring its 22nd point, but head coach Luka Slabe challenged the point, seeing the ball landed in. The call was then reversed, giving NC State its 25th point and ending the set 25-21.

The Blue Devils came out hot to start the fifth, but a 5-1 scoring run by the Wolfpack shook things up. Duke tied things six-all, starting a back-and-forth battle. After a timeout by the Wolfpack the Blue Devils found a weak spot in the Pack defense and took the set 15-13.

The two teams battled for three hours and tied the match on 46 different occasions.

Rice added three blocks and five digs to her stat line. Brizard finished the evening with 15 kills and three service aces. Fifth year setter Kristen McDaniel tallied 34 assists, while senior Naomi Cabello recorded 21. Senior middle blocker Riley Shaak tallied three blocks and three kills for the Wolfpack.

The Pack will head down the road to Chapel Hill to take on UNC on Sunday Oct. 29. The match will begin at 4pm on ACCNX.