Pack Set to Host Pair of Ranked Conference Opponents

Friday, November 22

Raleigh, NC

7pm

NC State

#10 SMU

Volleyball starting 7 prior to Wake Forest 11/13/24

Photo by: Kerrigan Zambrana

Pack Set to Host Pair of Ranked Conference Opponents

11/20/2024 12:19:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Game Notes - NC State Game Notes - SMU Game Notes - Pitt

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The NC State volleyball team is set to host 10th-ranked SMU and first-ranked Pitt for a pair of matches in Reynolds Coliseum. The Wolfpack will face SMU for the first time since the Mustangs joined the ACC on Friday, Nov. 22 at 7pm before hosting the top ranked Panthers on Sunday, Nov. 24 at 1pm. Both matches are set to be streamed on ACCNX.

The Basics of the Matchups

The Pack will meet with the Mustangs for just the third time in program history. NC State has won the last two meetings.
Sunday's meeting with Pitt will mark the 15th between the two programs. NC State has only won two meetings with the Panthers -- 2013 and 2017. Pitt has won nine of the last 10 meetings.

A Win/Wins Would ...

be the 213th and 214th ACC win in program history
be the 815th and 816th overall win in program history
be the 77th and 78th under head coach Luka Slabe
be the 10th and 10th conference win this season
be the 15th and 16th win of the season

Milestone Watch

Ava Brizard - 140 kills from 1,000
Martyna Leoniak - 78 kills from 500
Jada Allen - 2 blocks from 400
Amanda Rice - 13 kills from 1,000

Down to the Wire

With just four matches left in the 2024 regular season, the Wolfpack looks to continue to build a resume that would earn it a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Despite having an RPI that should have gotten NC State into the tournament, the Pack was marked "first four out" in 2023 due to not enough quad-one wins.
The Pack checked in at 46 in this week's RPI rankings, 46 in the KPI, and 43 in the strength of schedule report.
Out of the four remaining games in ACC play, the Pack will face a ranked opponent in at three of them -- Miami received votes in this week's poll.

Big Red's World and We're Just in it ... Literally

Senior Amanda Rice tallied 37 kills during opening weekend for the Pack and recorded double-digit kills in all three matches.
In the final weekend of non-conference play, the Lemont, Ill. native tallied 30 kills, averaged 3.75 kills per set, recorded a .333 hitting percentage -- marks that ranked first in the ACC among any opposite.
As of Monday, the Rice ranks 15th in the nation, in all of D1, among opposites for kills per set (3.53) and ranks second in the ACC in kills per set by an opposite (Olivia Babcock from Pitt averages 4.53 per set and ranks second in the nation, first in the ACC).
When the senior opposite hits .450 or higher, the Wolfpack is 3-2 this season.
She had a stellar 2023 campaign. She recorded three 18+ kill matches, including a career high 26 kills in the loss at Duke. The Illinois native became the first person since 2016 to record 26+ kills in a five set match, joining Pack great Julia Brown (31 vs Syracuse in 2012).
Rice was also one of only two opposites to rank in the top-10 for best attack percentage in a single match in 2023. Big Red recorded 16 kills on 24 attacks with zero errors to finish the match at Virginia in November with a .667 hitting percentage (Ashley Slater from Wake Forest is the only other opposite to rank in the top-10 in the conference for best hitting percentage from finishing the Syracuse meeting with a .706 percentage after going 12-0-17)
Her performance against UVA in November put her in the top-27 for best single match attack percentage last season in the NCAA (all DI schools).