N.C. State opened its home schedule this past weekend by hosting the Courtyard Midtown Classic against Appalachian State, Binghampton and Towson. The Wolfpack (6-0) defeated all three teams and only dropped one set throughout the weekend.
Junior outside hitter Rachel Buckley powered State to victory with 27 kills over the course of the weekend, earning the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award.
“Rachel did great,” head coach Bryan Bunn added. “She took good care of the ball, played with a lot of energy and there’s a reason why she got MVP.”
State kept its three-game winning streak alive with a straight sets win against the Mountaineers in the team’s home opener on Friday evening.
Senior middle blocker Brie Merriwether powered the Pack with 10 kills in the match. Sophomore setter Tanna Aljoe, who ended the weekend with 102 total assists, added 31 assists and two kills against the Mountaineers.
“It was definitely important to start the season with confidence,” Merriwether said. “It helps set the pace for the rest of the season, so winning is a necessity.”
The Pack and the Mountaineers kept the first set close with App State pulling ahead to 14-11. But then the momentum shifted in State’s favor as the Pack went on a 13-5 run after tipped saves by Aljoe. The Wolfpack took the first set, 25-19.
“We started out a little slow, but we made some adjustments and came back and played really well at the end of the first set,” Bunn said. “From there, we took control in the second and third sets.”
State built off the momentum it gained in the first set, winning the final two sets by scores of 25-21 and 25-10. A service ace finished off the match, signifying the Pack’s dominance in the final set.
State continued its winning ways Saturday afternoon as the Pack took down Binghamton, 3-0, for its fifth straight sets sweep of the season.
Junior middle blocker Alesha Wilson led the team with 12 kills. Aljoe finished the match with 32 assists, her fourth match of the season with over 30 assists.
After rallying back to win the first set by a score of 25-19, State dominated the second set, 25-7. The 18-point victory was the largest for the team this season and came in part due to a 19-3 run to finish the set.
Not deterred from dropping the first two sets, Binghamton immediately jumped ahead by three points and kept control for most of the set. But the Wolfpack got hot and closed the set and the match on a 10-3 run, winning its 15th consecutive set, 25-22.
In its final match of the weekend, the Pack continued its winning ways with a 3-1 victory over Towson.
Hopper led the way with 16 kills followed by Merriwether and Buckley with 12 and 11, respectively. Aljoe added 39 assists, a season high for the San Diego State transfer.
“We started off really well and then we let down a little bit after getting some big leads, but we bounced back,” Bunn said. “Towson played with more energy and intensity in the third set so they ended up winning it, but we came back in the fourth set and raised our energy level to take care of business.”
State took the first set 25-16 and began the second set on an 18-3 run. The Pack would eventually take the set 25-12.
Undeterred, the Tigers battled back and won a hard-fought third set, 25-23. Towson looked to take the fourth set as well, but the Pack pushed ahead thanks to a 14-5 run that moved them ahead for good. State took the fourth set and the match, 25-15.
The undefeated Wolfpack will travel to Houston for the Rice Tournament on September 13.
