Wolfpack Set to Tango with Gators in First Round of NCAA Tournament

Friday, December 6

Lawrence, KS

5pm

NC State

#22 Florida

Wolfpack Set to Tango with Gators in First Round of NCAA Tournament

12/3/2024 9:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball

Game Notes - NC State 2024 NCAA Championship Bracket

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The NC State volleyball team is set to face 22nd-ranked Florida in the opening round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament in Lawrence, Kansas on Friday, Dec. 6 at 5pm.

The match will be streamed on ESPN+ and tickets are available for purchase starting on Tuesday, Dec. 3 HERE.

The Wolfpack accepted an at-large bid on Selection Sunday after finishing the regular season 16-12 overall and 11-9 in Atlantic Coast Conference play. The 6-seeded Gators enter the tournament with a 21-7 overall record and 11-5 record in Southeastern Conference play.

The postseason appearance is the fourth in program history for the Pack and first under head coach Luka Slabe.

The Basics of the Matchup

NC State will face 6-seed Florida in the opening round of the 2024 NCAA Championship. The two squads will meet in Lawrence, Kansas on December 6.
The Wolfpack has tangoed with the Gators eight times in program history with the most recent being during the 2017 campaign. Florida holds a 7-1 advantage over the Pack in the series history.
Florida enters the tournament ranked 18th in the country, 24th in the RPI, 19 in the KPI, and had a SOS of 50 (cumulative of 56).The Gators finished third in the SEC.
The two programs shared three opponents during the regular season -- South Florida, Georgia Tech, and Florida State. The Gators fell to both USF and GT but defeated FSU. The Wolfpack defeated USF but fell to GT and FSU.

A Win Would ...

be the second win in program history in the NCAA tournament
be the 817th overall win in program history
be the 79th under head coach Luka Slabe
be the 17th win of the season

Milestone Watch

Ava Brizard - 91 kills from 1,000
Martyna Leoniak - 75 kills from 500

Wolfpack Rankings Headed into the Postseason

ACC Finish - 10th
RPI - 37
Adjusted RPI - 35
KPI - 42
SOS - 20

PACKin' for the Postseason

The Pack is headed to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in program history. NC State will open postseason play against 18th-ranked Florida who earned a six seed in the tournament.
The 2024 post season marks the third time the Wolfpack will face an opponent from the SEC in the big dance.
Two members of the Wolfpack have been to the tournament before, just at a different school. Naomi Cabello and Madison Williams were members of the Texas roster during the 2020 and 2021 seasons when the Longhorns made the big dance. In 2020, Texas was the National Runner-Up after falling to Kentucky and finished tied for fifth in the 2021 tournament.

Dancing with Sisters

There are at least four sets of sisters participating in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Senior setter Naomi Cabello makes up half of one of the duos in this year's tournament.
The senior setter earned a spot in the 2024 tournament and so did her sister Nayelis, a freshman setter at Louisville. The two shared the court for the first time in their lives when the Wolfpack met with the Cardinals back in October.
Other sisters playing in the tournament: Bergen and Reagan Reilly (Nebraska/Illinois), Ally and Casey Batenhorst (USC/SMU), Anjelina and Izzy Staarck (Penn State).

NCAA's? Nothin' New for the Staff

Postseason appearances is nothing new for the Wolfpack staff -- as players or coaches.
Head coach Luka Slabe was a member of the 2001 BYU National Championship team and 2003 National Runner-Up team. He would later return to his alma mater as an assistant coach (2015-18) and helped the Cougars make three consecutive Final Four appearances (2016-2018). BYU was the National Runner Up in both 2016 and 2017.
Associate head coach Megan Wargo-Kearney went to the tournament three times during her four year assistant coaching stint at Lees-McRae (DII) with both the men's and women's teams.
Assistant coach Jeremiah Gonidakis was a graduate assistant at Nebraska during the 2020-21 and 2021 seasons. The Cornhuskers were the National Runner-Up in 2021 after falling to Big Ten foe Wisconsin in the championship.
Assistant coach Mitchel Worthington was a libero at BYU in 2017 and then 2020-2023 (took a two year mission after the 2017 season). He was a member of the 2017 and 2021 National Runner Up squads.