Friday, August 29
Raleigh, NC
11am
NC State
1-0,0-0ACC
3
vs
2
Akron
0-1,0-0MAC
1
2
3
4
5
F
Akron
13
25
25
18
12
2
NC State
25
23
20
25
15
3
Volleyball Opens the Season 2-0 After Taking Down Akron and Army
8/29/2025 8:59:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
RALEIGH, N.C. – First year head coach Megan Wargo-Kearney led the Wolfpack volleyball program to a season opening win over Akron before taking down Army in straight sets Friday at Reynolds Coliseum to begin the Summit Hospitality Tournament.
The win over Akron marked the first for Wargo-Kearney at the helm of the program.
Senior outside hitter Courtney Bryant led the Pack with 19 kills on the day while freshman opposite Jordan Smith tallied 18 between the two matches.
NC State 3, Akron 2
The Pack returns to Reynolds Coliseum on Saturday, Aug. 30 to host Green Bay at 6pm for its final match of the Summit Hospitality Tournament.
The win over Akron marked the first for Wargo-Kearney at the helm of the program.
Senior outside hitter Courtney Bryant led the Pack with 19 kills on the day while freshman opposite Jordan Smith tallied 18 between the two matches.
NC State 3, Akron 2
- The Pack came out of the gates hot, taking set one, 25-13.
- Freshman middle blocker Talia Francom led the offensive efforts for the Pack with three kills on just as many attempts.
- The Zips kept things close in set two and finished the set on a 3-0 scoring run.
- After Akron took a 16-14 lead in set three, Wargo-Kearney took a timeout to regroup the Pack. The Zips would go on to score nine more points to take the set, 25-20, and take the lead, 2-1.
- The Wolfpack battled back in set four, taking a 21-15 lead courtesy of a kill by senior middle blocker Lily Cropper. NC State forced a fifth set after taking the fourth, 25-18.
- The two teams battled in the beginning of the fifth, but NC State was the first to eight points headed into the media timeout.
- Junior outside Clara Vondran called match with a kill off a pass from redshirt-junior setter Ashley Mullen. Cropped and Bryant led the offensive efforts in the fifth with a pair of kills each.
- Smith (12) and Sa'Mya Dorsey (11) led the offensive efforts throughout the morning as they combined for 23 kills. Bryant added 10 kills and two service aces to the box score.
- Freshman middle blocker Talia Francom led the defensive efforts at the net with five blocks, including one solo. Freshman libero Zuzia Maciejewicz tallied 15 digs in her debut for the Wolfpack.
- The win marked the first of the 2025 season, the first under head coach Megan Wargo-Kearney, and the 817th in program history. The win also marked the third over Akron in the series history.
- NC State jumped out to an early lead in set one that included a 9-0 run highlighted by three kills from Smith. The Pack took the first set, 25-15.
- The Knights were unable to slow the Wolfpack as NC State continued to dominate in the second set. Cropped led the efforts on both sides of the ball as she tallied three kills and 1.5 blocks.
- NC State finished the second set, 25-16.
- Army kept things close in the third and eventually took a 10-7 lead, but a 5-0 scoring run allowed the Wolfpack to take over headed into the media timeout (15-11).
- Army continued to battle and minimized the deficit to four, but the Wolfpack couldn't be stopped. NC State went on to take the third set, 25-18, and claimed the win.
- Bryant led the offensive efforts with nine kills and Talia Francom tallied seven blocks to lead on the defensive side of the ball.
The Pack returns to Reynolds Coliseum on Saturday, Aug. 30 to host Green Bay at 6pm for its final match of the Summit Hospitality Tournament.
Team Stats
UA
NCSU
Kills
55
57
Errors
30
19
Attempts
154
151
Hitting %
.162
.252
Points
71.0
79.0
Assists
52
55
Aces
8
10
Blocks
8
12
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
12
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Kills
10
Aces
2
Blocks
1
Kills
7
Aces
1
Blocks
4
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's VolleyballMB
/ Women's VolleyballOPP
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
L
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's VolleyballOPP
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
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