Pack Drops Five Set Thriller to FSU

Sunday, October 8

Tallahassee, FL

1pm

NC State

13-4,3-3ACC

Florida State

12-6,6-0ACC

NC State

Florida St.

10/8/2023 4:04:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The NC State volleyball team (13-4, 3-3) dropped a five set thriller to Florida State (12-6, 6-0) Sunday afternoon at Tully Gymnasium.

The Wolfpack was paced by sophomore Ava Brizard who recorded a career high 25 kills on 53 attempts to finish with a .415 hitting percentage. The last time a member of the Pack recorded 25 or more kills was in 2012 when Brie Merriwether recorded 26 against Clemson.

The Pack took set one and senior libero Skye Stokes recorded her 20th ace of the season, finishing the afternoon with two. The Seminoles made several attempts to take a lead in the set, but were unsuccessful as the Wolfpack dominated, taking the set 25-20.

The Wolfpack struggled to maintain the momentum in set two and the beginning of set three, but later found a spark in the third that allowed them to take over -- Brizard led the way with eight kills through the third. NC State took the third set after a challenge showed that FSU touched the ball on the block giving the Pack their 25th point.

NC State continued to lead in the beginning of set four, but the Seminoles took over after a 4-0 scoring run gave them the lead, 17-15. On the Pack's 17th point of the set, Brizard surpassed her previous career high of 20 kills. The Seminoles went on the take the set, sending the match into a fifth.

The two teams battled in the fifth, but FSU maintained a lead that the Pack was unable to top. The Seminoles took the set 15-10, ending the match on top.

Brizard added seven digs to her stat line, in addition to 25 kills. Fifth year setter Kristen McDaniel led the Wolfpack setters with 33 assists, in addition to four digs and one service ace. Stokes led defensively with 24 digs and recorded one kill in the meeting. Sophomore Courtney Bryant also recorded a career high 17 kills and added 12 digs to record her third straight double-double.

The Wolfpack returns to Raleigh to host Wake Forest and Virginia Tech for week four of ACC play. The Deacons visit Reynolds Coliseum on Friday Oct. 13 and the Hokies visit on Oct. 15 for the annual Pink Match.