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Redshirt junior setter Megan Cyr sets the ball during the volleyball game against Miami on Friday in Reynold's Coliseum. Photo by John Joyner.
In yet another series of five-setters, Miami and Florida State defeated N.C . State to hand them their third and fourth consecutive losses in ACC play.
The Pack [14-6, 2-4 ACC] displayed why they were a much better team than before and why they were up there as one of the stronger teams in the ACC but it proved too much against the No. 21 Hurricanes [14-1, 5-1 ACC] and No. 24 Seminoles [13-4, 7-0 ACC] who showed their poise in handing the Wolfpack their first defeats at Reynolds Coliseum this year.
Coach Bryan Bunn , the renaissance man for the program, felt the team needed to take full advantage of the opportunities on hand in order to get the win, something they had failed to do.
“We have to learn how to win them, we were 2-1 in two of them, we have got to come out in the fourth set and be ready for that other team to turn it up a notch,” Bunn said. “They [Clemson and Miami] came out in the fourth set and turned it up and we had opportunities like we did against Clemson and we didn’t take advantage of that.”
Bunn also felt playing all of the five-setters was taking a toll on the mental health of the team and that they had to learn from their mistakes.
“They are pretty well trained, it’s more of a drain mentally than it is physically. “They are strong kids, they all work really hard,” Bunn said. “When it comes to down to it, you got to learn how to win and In those tight situations we just have to learn how to do it and sometimes you have to fail before you learn and that’s where we are at right now. We are failing in those situations and we will learn from it.”
Bunn admitted that the numerous errors by the Wolfpack ultimately cost them their games.
“That’s what lost us the first set [against Miami]. You can’t have 10 errors in 43 swings, and expect to win a game,” Bunn said.
Freshmen Nicole Glass, who had career-best 21 kills against Miami, felt it was frustrating to not win the game despite the numerous chances on hand.
“Its just really frustrating when we have so many opportunities to win and we still don’t take advantage,” Glass said. “We fought hard and I am proud of them for that.”
Glass credited her teammates when quizzed about what recording career-best figures meant to her.
“I think it’s definitely a team effort, like I would never have been able to do anything without my teammates,” Glass said. “I wouldn’t be able to swing without Megan setting me or any of the passes, definitely them being behind me, helps me play well.”
Glass also recognized the mental strength the team had after they saved three set points to take the lead in the fourth set in the game against Miami.
“We definitely don’t give up, we are just not going to roll over when we are not playing well,” Glass said. “So far we have been not starting well but we have definitely been coming fighting.”
“We really want to win, we are just so close, we just need to figure out how to come out and start right at the beginning.”
N.C . State next takes on Virginia Tech on Oct.14 at Reynolds Coliseum at 7 p.m .