Recap

Brizard shows all-around strength in NC State volleyball's win over UTEP

In a complete turn-around from last season, NC State volleyball won its seventh game in a row against the University of Texas-El Paso in the final game of the Bobcat Invitational.

The Pack (8-1) came into the early-morning matchup riding the momentum of a 2-0 day on Friday. The Miners (6-2) also had a two-game win streak at the tournament before taking on the red-and-white.

The first set was back and forth neither team was able to create a strong lead but the Pack was able to take away a 25-21 win to bring the match to 1-0. Junior middle blocker Jada Allen started the game off strong, taking the first point of the match with a kill.

It was in the second set where the red-and-white lost some of its groove, falling to the Miners 25-16. Late-set surges from UTEP halted the Pack from making any runs, as well as its intense blocking set-up that halted sophomore outside hitter Ava Brizzard and junior opposite hitter Amanda Rice from putting up early kills.

Brizard wasn't stuck the whole match, though, as she led the team with 16 kills and 13 digs. Adding to her already well-rounded resume, she recorded one block assist and a service ace by the end of the match.

The third set saw a complete flip in score, as the Pack put the match at 2-1 with a score of 25-16. Starting out on a three-point streak, the red-and-white didn't let its foot off the gas. Rice tallied five kills in this set alone, followed by Brizard with four.

The fourth and final set sealed the Wolfpack win. Two block assists from Rice and senior middle blocker Riley Shaak got the Pack going and the team kept the energy alive throughout the set. Redshirt junior outside hitter Madison Williams also helped her team out with four kills through the set.

NC State has started the 2023 season off stronger than 2022, as the latter season saw a 6-3 start in the first nine games.

The Pack will travel back to Raleigh for a two-game home stretch starting against UNC-Charlotte on Tuesday, Sept. 12 with the first serve set for 6 p.m.

https://www.technicianonline.com/sports/brizard-shows-all-around-strength-in-nc-state-volleyball-s-win-over-utep/article_4cf18bae-4f7a-11ee-a07a-b7d9a3fdd5f8.html

Had to drop a highlight of our All-Tournament Team members😏#TheOnePercent pic.twitter.com/khq91QAsJC

— Wolfpack Volleyball (@PackVball) September 10, 2023

Recap: Bobcat Invitational#TheOnePercent pic.twitter.com/YhSA5UQXBv

— Wolfpack Volleyball (@PackVball) September 11, 2023

𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐊 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐘 𝐈𝐍 𝐑𝐄𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐒

The first 1️⃣5️⃣0️⃣ fans to Wednesday match against George Washington will receive the ‘Block Party’ t-shirt!

Doors open at 5pm | First serve at 6pm pic.twitter.com/KYiZRzUXkn

— Wolfpack Volleyball (@PackVball) September 11, 2023

𝙏𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣.

🆚 Charlotte
📍 Reynolds Coliseum
⏰ 6pm
🖥️ ACCNX
📊 https://t.co/1fktM0Q3x2
📰 https://t.co/6gsCYrgNw1
🎟️ https://t.co/k5xJUnzBkX pic.twitter.com/smHIUqbKxq

— Wolfpack Volleyball (@PackVball) September 12, 2023

set 1
NC State wins
25-14

set 2
NC State wins
25-20
NC State leads match 2-0

set 3
NC State wins
25-17
NC State wins match 3-0

Madi with the kill to put us back in front! pic.twitter.com/I6L0pH4Hhv

— Wolfpack Volleyball (@PackVball) September 12, 2023

Sydney with the dive to keep us going! pic.twitter.com/o0KTIJcOnF

— Wolfpack Volleyball (@PackVball) September 12, 2023

GO OFF BIG RED😱 pic.twitter.com/VU3vJqwhei

— Wolfpack Volleyball (@PackVball) September 12, 2023

THE DIVE...THE SAVE...THE BLOCK😱 pic.twitter.com/AGdOLywGpL

— Wolfpack Volleyball (@PackVball) September 12, 2023

Went to the Charlotte match. Another very big crowd....I would estimate around 1,100 to 1,400. It's hard to tell how good of a crowd are at these matches from some of the videos shown on their social media, but you can get a good sense from this video on their Instagram. And lots of students there too, making the crowd lively and loud. I don't know how long they've been doing this or if any of the system specifics has changed recently, but if you are a member of the student Wolfpack Club you get points for attending non-revenue sporting events like volleyball matches, which helps draw a lot of students. There are a ton of students lined up after the match is over in the upper concourse near the concessions to get counted as being in attendance, which I didn't remember seeing at some of the matches I went to last year.

https://instagr.am/p/CxHPwmds_3X

Nice point here and crowd reaction on the stuff block...

https://instagr.am/p/CxHPYRuMvnb

The NC State volleyball program improved its winning-streak to eight after sweeping Charlotte in straight sets Tuesday evening. The win put head coach Luka Slabe at 49 wins at the helm of the program.

The two teams started out in a battle, but the Pack jumped in front and never looked back in set one. Junior opposite Amanda Rice led the way with five kills, while fellow junior Jada Allen added two service aces. With NC State leading 24-14, a kill by outside Madison Williams gave the Pack set one.

The 49ers put up a fight in set two, tying the set on nine different occasions and taking the lead twice. Charlotte recorded 12 errors in the second set and were unable to gain enough momentum to take a significant lead over the Wolfpack. After an 8-2 run, NC State took the set after a service ace by setter Kristen McDaniel.

The two teams battled in the beginning of set three, but the Pack continued to dominate and came out on top. Rice and Allen were in sync on the defensive side of things, recording a combined five blocks. With Allen behind the service line, the Wolfpack went on a 6-0 run to make it 23-16, eventually taking set three.

Rice led the way with 12 kills, while Ava Brizard added 10 and Williams added eight. Kristen McDaniel led the setters with 17 assists, while Naomi Cabello added 14. Allen and McDaniel each recorded three service aces in the win.

The Pack returns to Reynolds Coliseum on Wednesday Sept. 13 to host George Washington for the final nonconference match of the season. Play will begin at 6pm and be streamed on ACCNX.

https://gopack.com/news/2023/9/12/womens-volleyball-pack-improves-winning-streak-to-eight-with-win-over-charlotte

Recap
Pack volleyball sweeps UNC-Charlotte in mid-week home game

NC State volleyball started a mid-week back-to-back series against the UNC-Charlotte 49ers on Tuesday, Sept. 12 in front of a rowdy home crowd at Reynolds Coliseum. The two teams battled throughout the first and second sets, but the Pack pulled away in the third set to close out the match.

The Wolfpack (9-1) came into this match off of a dominant showing at the Bobcat Invitational in Athens, Ohio, finishing the tournament 3-0. Junior opposite hitter Amanda Rice was the tournament MVP and earned a career-high 18 kills in the match against Ohio University. Charlotte (5-5) came to Raleigh hoping to shake off a 2-3 loss to North Florida the previous weekend, but were unable to get past the Pack's energetic offense.

"[Rice is] just a firecracker," said sophomore outside hitter Ava Brizard. "Once she gets a hold of a ball, I mean, watch out, she's gonna put it down. She's just so powerful and she works so hard day in and day out on her craft and it's showing up in her games."

The first set started out rough for the red-and-white and it struggled to establish a significant lead. But when the Pack went on a five-point scoring streak and pushed the score to 11-17, the team never looked back. In the first set, 16 of the NC State's 25 possible points were scored off of kills from all over the court.

Junior middle blocker Jada Allen took the lead behind the service line, recording two service aces in the first set the first of the team's nine. Rice led the Wolfpack's offense in the first set with five kills, but four other NC State players recorded more than one kill in the first set alone.

The 49ers came out in the second set warmed up and ready to take on the aggressive Pack offense. The second set started similarly to the first, with both teams going back-and-forth early on until Charlotte pulled ahead to establish its largest lead of the night.

"They're a good serving team…they're insistent a lot, which makes our job harder," said assistant coach Jeremiah Gonidakis. "Usually lends itself to close matches, but we've been in a lot of close matches this year and our girls have done a nice job of fighting and staying positive and finishing games".

There were nine scoring ties and four lead changes in the second set, with the Charlotte blockers putting up a strong effort to stop the Pack. Ultimately, NC State came back to win the set on a service ace from graduate setter Kristen McDaniel, finishing with a 25-20 score and taking a 2-0 match lead.

It was in the third set where the Pack was finally able to show its true talent. Starting the set with the 4-1 run including another ace from McDaniel helped the team build a comfortable lead. Rice once again put on an impressive all-around performance, racking up five kills and three block assists. NC State pulled away, capitalizing on its momentum and the energy to go on an unanswered 6-0 run and finish the set 25-17.

"It's a good feeling to know that our hard work is ending in wins, but it doesn't really mean much," Gonidakis said. "Tomorrow we play again and next week we play again, and no matter what our record is, anyone can win."

The red-and-white will stay in Raleigh to take on George Washington on Wednesday, Sept. 13, with the first set scheduled for 6 p.m.

https://www.technicianonline.com/sports/pack-volleyball-sweeps-unc-charlotte-in-mid-week-home-game/article_183e0c4a-51df-11ee-a19f-2b04bc4827bd.html

𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗻𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻

🆚 George Washington
📍 Reynolds Coliseum
⏰ 6pm
🖥️ ACCNX
📊 https://t.co/6MpGdVSAtv
🎟️ https://t.co/k5xJUnzBkX
🎉 First 150 fans receive a BLOCK PARTY shirt pic.twitter.com/uBCBq3fa8f

— Wolfpack Volleyball (@PackVball) September 13, 2023

set 1
NC State wins
25-18

set 2
NC State wins
25-16
NC State leads match 2-0

set 3
NC State wins 25-12

NC State wins match 3-0

Recap
NC State volleyball has historic night in 3-0 win against GW

https://www.technicianonline.com/sports/nc-state-volleyball-has-historic-night-in-3-0-win-against-gw/article_4a4e70b2-529d-11ee-8d8e-6f89afa47343.html

NC State volleyball faced off with George Washington on Wednesday in a masterclass of offensive power, pulling away with an easy 3-0 win. With this win the Pack stretched to a nine-game win streak the longest in eight years and the best starting record during head coach Luka Slabe's reign.

The Pack (10-1) came into the mid-week matchup fresh off of a 3-0 win against UNC-Charlotte on Tuesday, Sept. 12, and the team didn't miss a beat coming into the game against the Colonials (2-7). While the red-and-white were able to easily pull away with a win, it was also able to place a few names into the NC State history books.

Junior opposite hitter Amanda Rice placed her name in the books as she hit 500 career kills at NC State throughout her 182 sets played for the program. Slabe earned his 50th win with the Pack, becoming only the sixth head coach in program history to do so.

"Oh my God, I feel so great," Rice said. "But, you know, I can't do it without the team it's a team effort but it feels really great. I'm super excited about it."

It was a dominant offensive showing in the first set for the Pack totalling 17 kills throughout the 25-point match as well as giving into the team's block party theme for the night. NC State was able to get four block assists through the first set, courtesy of Rice, senior middle blocker Riley Shaak, junior middle blocker Jada Allen and freshman outside hitter Clara Vondran.

"I swear every year the team just gets closer and closer," Rice said. " …We all love each other. We have built a connection over the last few weeks that is just obviously showing in the winning streak that we have."

The second set was another quick win for the red-and-white as they took the set 25-16. Sophomore outside hitter Ava Brizard led the team with five kills this set, as well as having a few clutch digs on defense. Allen and senior setter Kristen McDaniel kept the team momentum going as each recorded a service ace, adding to the final count of eight by the end of the game.

The third and final set truly showed the Pack's dominance on the court, as they were able to come-from-behind and take control over the court once again. Despite a rocky start in which the Colonials got their first and only lead of the game, NC State took over with an 11-1 scoring run to finish the game 25-12.

"I think overall it was a successful non-conference [schedule], just because of how the girls played and how they fought," said assistant coach Jeremiah Gonidakis. "I thought that it was really good that some people stepped up with some injuries that we had, so we had different players step up and play really well. I'm really excited for them."

Brizard once again led the team in kills, totalling 11 this match, and she was followed quickly by Rice with nine. The red-and-white swung hard and fast all throughout the match, totaling 40 kills through the three sets played.

"When we have a pin that we can trust to get kills, night in and night out, when we step on the floor, it just brings a level of confidence to the rest of the team as well," Gonbidakis said. "[The team doesn't] have to do anything crazy, just play their volleyball, and we're gonna be okay. Amanda has done a really nice job of getting better at that this year."

With the non-conference schedule over, the team will look ahead to ACC play coming quickly. The Wolfpack will start conference play in South Carolina, as it travels to Clemson on Friday, Sept. 22nd.

The Wolfpack won its ninth straight match after defeating George Washington in straight sets in the final match of nonconference play Wednesday evening.

The win streak is the longest since the 2014 season when the Pack won 12-straight

Junior opposite Amanda Rice recorded her 500th career kill in set three and finished the evening with nine, in addition to two digs and three blocks. She finished the evening hitting .467, tying her season high.

The Wolfpack went on numerous scoring runs throughout the evening, leading by 10 points on several occasions. The Revolutionaries struggled on serve receive throughout the match, allowing the Pack to capitalize. The Wolfpack also recorded eight service aces, with junior Jada Allen recording three.

George Washington brought themselves within three points of the Pack in set three, but were unable to tie things up or take a lead of their own

Sophomore Ava Brizard led the way with 11 kills and added 12 digs and two service aces. Fifth year setter Kristen McDaniel recorded 19 assists, while fellow setter Naomi Cabello added 13. Allen, Rice, and sophomore Lily Cropper each tallied two blocks, while Clara Vondran and Madison Williams each had one.

The Wolfpack will open conference play on the road at Clemson and Georgia Tech. Play will begin Friday Sept. 22 at 7pm on ACCNX.

https://gopack.com/news/2023/9/13/womens-volleyball-pack-wins-ninth-straight-defeats-george-washington-3-0

Clemson picked 11 and GaT tied for 4th in ACC preseason poll (we were picked 8th)

set 1
NC State wins
25-20

set 2
NC State wins
25-17

NC State leads match 2-0

SHE'S BAAAAACK

Martyna with the MONSTER block to increase our lead to five! pic.twitter.com/lhssBZ9pKB

— Wolfpack Volleyball (@PackVball) September 23, 2023

uhhhh... point Pack!@NCAAVolleyball | @accnetwork pic.twitter.com/gIEfuYnKBr

— Wolfpack Volleyball (@PackVball) September 23, 2023

OKAY Jada, we 👀 you! pic.twitter.com/Kqgight1L9

— Wolfpack Volleyball (@PackVball) September 23, 2023

set 3
NC State wins
25-16

NC State wins match 3-0

Recap
Pack volleyball opens ACC play sweeping Clemson Tigers, 3-0

NC State volleyball began ACC play on the road as the team traveled to South Carolina to take on Clemson, and eventually sweep the Tigers. The Pack is now on a ten-game winning streak going into its marquee matchup against No. 13 Georgia Tech.

The Wolfpack's explosive start to the season carried over into its first ACC matchup while Clemson (9-4, 0-2) hosted NC State (11-1, 1-0) as its second ACC opponent of the season. The red-and-white were on a roll throughout the night, toppling the Tigers 3-0 in a quick matchup.

The two teams went back and forth early in the first set. Despite a five-score run by the Tigers, the Pack pulled ahead through several smaller runs throughout the set. Senior defensive specialist Skye Stokes had back-to-back service aces during one of NC State's three-score runs, and the red-and-white stayed ahead to take the set with a kill from sophomore opposite hitter Ava Brizard.

The Pack took the first four points of the second set before going back and forth again with the Tigers. Junior outside hitter Martyna Leoniak recorded six kills in this set and recorded the most points for NC State this evening with 14.5 by the end of the match. Brizard finished off the second set giving spectators deja vu with a kill to put the match at 2-0.

The Pack capitalized on Clemson's depleted energy in the third set and got ten points in the time it took the Tigers to get three. A great effort was put up again by Leoniak and Brizard, who both recorded 13 kills throughout the match. Clemson tried to come back slowly in the latter half of the set, but NC State was already set on getting the match over in three sets and it succeeded. The Pack was able to showcase some different players tonight, specifically Stokes and Leoniak, who both had some exciting moments throughout the match.

NC State will be back on the court on Sunday, Sept. 24 at 1 p.m. in Atlanta, where it will compete against No. 13 Georgia Tech.

https://www.technicianonline.com/sports/pack-volleyball-opens-acc-play-sweeping-clemson-tigers-3-0/article_f772c086-59b4-11ee-b320-130032867af9.html

Wolfer79 said:

---

SHE'S BAAAAACK

Martyna with the MONSTER block to increase our lead to five! pic.twitter.com/lhssBZ9pKB

— Wolfpack Volleyball (@PackVball) September 23, 2023

---

Love those stuff blocks. Really good to see Leoniak is back and really contributing.

The Wolfpack volleyball team swept Clemson (9-4, 0-1), 3-0, Friday evening at Jervey Gym to open conference play 1-0 and advance to 11-1 on the season.

The win marked the tenth straight this season and the third straight season to win a conference opener.

The two teams battled from the first serve in set one. NC State went on a 6-0 run to build a lead that the Tigers were unable to minimize. Back-to-back aces by senior libero Skye Stokes forced Clemson to take its final timeout of the set and the Wolfpack came out on top, 25-20, after a kill from sophomore Ava Brizard.

With fifth year setter Kristen McDaniel behind the service line, the Pack went on a 4-0 run to open set two. The Tigers kept things close as NC State's lead was minimized to one, but were unable to tie things up or take a lead of their own. Junior Martyna Leoniak recorded six kills to help the Pack take set two 25-17.

The third set started off with a service error by the Pack, giving Clemson its first lead of the evening. The first point for the Pack came after a wild rally -- a dig by Leoniak went back toward the NC State bench, forcing Brizard to chase it, Jada Allen to hit it over the net from the back right corner of the court, and the Tigers tried to kill it but hit the ball out. The Wolfpack went on to build its lead back up, forcing Clemson to take a timeout after a 7-0 run. With the Pack leading 18-11, Clemson took its final timeout of the set, attempting to regroup. NC State continued to dominate, taking the third set 25-16.

Brizard and Leoniak both tallied 13 kills, while Allen led the way defensively with two blocks. Senior Naomi Cabello led the setters with 19 assists, while McDaniel added 17. Stokes and Allen each recorded two service aces in the match.

The Pack heads to Atlanta to take on No. 13 Georgia Tech on Sunday Sept. 24. First serve is set for 1pm on ACCNX.

https://gopack.com/news/2023/9/22/womens-volleyball-pack-marks-10th-straight-win-sweeps-clemson

NC State vs Clemson (Sept 22 2023) highlights

Meetings in the capital city

🆚 No. 13 Georgia Tech
📍 Atlanta, Ga.
⏰ 1pm EST
🖥️ ACCNX
📊 https://t.co/UnQCXQJ4My pic.twitter.com/DMheBS6IN1

— Wolfpack Volleyball (@PackVball) September 24, 2023

Set 1
Georgia Tech wins
25-23