Reynolds Coliseum was loud, the band was pumping, and the stands were packed. The scene was set for an upset against No. 7 Pitt, and the North Carolina State University volleyball team lost in straight sets, ending its home winning streak at 11.
“The crowd did a great job. We like it and it really helps us,” head coach Luca Slave said. “It’s a shame we couldn’t give them a great game tonight…We’re very grateful and hope it continues.”
The Panthers (18-3 ACC, 9-1 ACC) were always going to pose a big challenge for the Pack (15-5 ACC, 5-4 ACC). Pitt is a disciplined team and they don’t let mistakes get the better of them. That means NC State needs to be at its best. The Kohaku match started the set well, but ran out of gas midway through each set.
“Pitt is a really good team and there’s a reason they’ve had a really good record,” Slave said. “They’re really well-coached, they’ve got great defenders, they pass really well…That’s why they made it to the Final Four two years in a row.”
The first set started with a back-and-forth battle, but ultimately ended in a 25-15 victory for the Panthers. As the set progressed, there was a huge gap in errors between both teams. NC State committed 11 errors in the set to Pitt’s six.
“Pit does a really good job of putting pressure on you,” Slave said. “It’s really long, it’s physical, it’s in your face.”
In the second set, NC State opened up a 6-2 lead, sending the home crowd into a roar. After that first run, Pitt regrouped and broke through the Red-White midway through for the closest set win of the night, 25-16. As the set progressed, Pac’s scores cooled and never fully recovered.
“Thank you Pitt. They had really great blocking and defense, so it was very difficult for us to score,” sophomore outside hitter Eva Blizzard said. “If you want to make it on the big stage and get into tournaments and beat these high-level teams, you have to learn how to outwork them.”
The third set produced a similar result. Both teams traded blows early on, with Pitt turning on the jets and securing a 25-13 set win, clinching a sweep for the Panthers. Overall, Pitt outperformed NC State in virtually every aspect of the game.
“We’re really close,” Blizzard said. “We’re right at that eclipse moment. All that’s left to do is click the final button. I think it’s going to happen really soon for us.”
The Wolfpack will remain at home and take on the Virginia Cavaliers on Sunday, October 22nd at 1:00 p.m. This is a perfect match for the Red and White, as Virginia is on a losing streak.
