NC State volleyball faced the Syracuse Orange in a Sunday matinee game at Reynolds Coliseum. The Pack defeated the visiting team in three straight sets.
After a blowout loss to Boston College last Friday, the Wolfpack (18-7, 8-6 ACC) quickly bounced back to claim the ACC win, but Syracuse (2-22, 0-14) They remain winless in conference play. Three North Carolina State players reached his double-digit kill mark, and the team recorded more than his 10 kills per set.
The Pack made some changes to their starters heading into the matchup with the Orange, with sophomore outside hitter Courtney Bryant and sophomore middle blocker Lily Cropper earning spots in the starting lineup. Both players played key roles in the win, with Bryant finishing with 10 kills and Cropper recording two blocks.
In the first set, junior middle blocker Jada Allen took control and the red and white team had good touch on the ball from the start. Offensively, NC State attempted a variety of shots around the court to get around Syracuse’s blocks. On defense, Bryant dived left and right to keep the ball off the floor and contributed to the Pack’s 9-0 score. Thirteen of his first 15 points against the Reds and Whites came from kills, a result of keeping the offense moving and maintaining high energy on the court.
“I think Skye is our back row and libero player.” [Stokes] It was amazing,” Allen said. “I think all the defensive specialists that came out were great. From all of our pings, I think our communication on the net was great and I felt like everyone knew what they were doing. Everybody did their individual roles really well.”
Graduate setter Kristen McDaniel stood out with back-to-back aces in the first set, further solidifying her lead over the pack. Syracuse had just six kills in the first set, but NC State had 18 total kills and won 25-15.
McDaniel advanced the second set with another ace, but the puck movement was slower than in the first. The Orange were even with North Carolina State throughout the second set, with five tied scores and two lead changes. Pack, who finished with 14 kills and three aces, took the lead in the last minute, finishing the set 25-20 and taking a 2-0 game lead.
The Wolfpack led 8-3 at the start of the third set, showing that the team had regained momentum from a two-set lead. Although the Wolfpack’s blocking wasn’t as intense, NC State had a strong backcourt presence that prevented the Orange from getting too many kills.
Buoyed by a 5-0 scoring run midway through the set, North Carolina State took the lead and held it. Sophomore outside hitter Eva Blizzard led her team to a 25-14 set victory, totaling 13 kills by the end of the match.
Syracuse is known for trying to force opponents out of their system, forcing the setter to take the first pass instead of the second. Throughout the match, McDaniel and senior setter Naomi Cabello were forced to play first defense. The two setters led NC State against the Orange, with Cabello scoring nine and McDaniel scoring eight. Syracuse forced the team to play outside of its safety zone, but the red and white met the challenge with ease.
“It’s about are we disciplined enough to not get too excited and go to places where we know the ball won’t get to us,” head coach Luca Slave said. “Stop, read, and wait. We did it.”
Next up, NC State heads off to take on the Boston College Eagles on Friday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m.