The NC State volleyball team ended its seven-game losing streak on Sunday with a 3-1 victory over Boston College.
With the win, the Wolfpack (13-8, 2-7 ACC) earned its eighth consecutive win over the Eagles.
“You never want to lose that many in a row, no matter the circumstances,” head coach Bryan Bunn said.
The Pack’s losing streak had been extended to seven straight on Friday when the team traveled to Virginia (13-9, 6-3 ACC). State battled the Cavaliers for five sets before eventually falling, 15-11, in the final set. The loss marked the Pack’s third-straight loss in five-set matches.
State got its chance to turn things around when Boston College traveled to Raleigh on Sunday. The Eagles (8-12, 3-6 ACC) were on their final game of a three-game road trip and had lost both games entering the matchup with the Pack.
Both teams looked sloppy out of the gate, unable to execute offensively. In the first set, neither team hit above .070. Senior outside hitter Dariyan Hopper was one of the few bright spots, recording five of her game-high 13 kills in the set.
Bunn said Hopper’s strong play was vital to his team’s success.
“We need her to perform well,” Bunn said. “Not only does she need to be a leader vocally, she has to perform. We need her to step up, and that’s what she did today.”
Sophomore Maggie Speaks took over at setter midway through the first set, which paid off for the Pack. After being down by four when Speaks entered the game, State came back to tie the Eagles at 18 apiece. However, Boston College would eventually take the set, 25-23.
“We changed the setter, which changed the rhythm,” Bunn said. “Sometimes that’s all it takes.”
State started strong in the second set, jumping out to a 7-4 advantage over BC. The Pack continued to pile on the offense, using a 10-2 run to take the set 25-14.
During the second, State’s attack caught fire, recording a .423 kill percentage and .929 side-out percentage. Bunn said his team’s success came from the players “taking care of the ball better.”
The Pack’s defense was also strong during the second, putting up four blocks for the second-straight set and holding the Eagles to a .000 kill percentage. State put up 13 blocks as a team on the night.
“We’ve been working on blocking a lot more in practice, so it has paid off,” Bunn said. “We still have to pick up our defense a little more, but that starts with the blocks.”
Despite the Eagles jumping out to an early 7-3 lead, the Pack responded with a run of its own, reclaiming the lead, 11-9. The set remained a back-and-forth battle, until the Pack finally pulled away with a 25-22 victory.
In the fourth and final set, the Pack used a 7-1 run midway through the set to distance itself from the Eagles. State eventually took the set, 25-17, and snapped its seven-game skid.
“It was definitely nice to get a win,” Hopper said. “We needed it for our confidence, especially for the younger girls.”
Match point was converted by Hopper after sophomore Rachel Eppley dove out of bounds to save an errant pass. There were multiple long rallies throughout Sunday’s match, with the Pack ending up victorious in most of the points. Eppley said the team’s willingness to drive for balls spoke wonders to the team’s perseverance.
“No matter what, we always try our hardest,” Eppley said. “The last play proved it.”
Eppley came up big for the Pack in the fourth, recording seven of her career-high 20 blocks. Sunday marked the second-straight game that Eppley dug 20 balls.
“She did a good job defensively, and that’s why we have her in there,” Bunn said. “She scored a lot of points when serving.”
The Pack will look to build on its momentum as the team hosts Florida State and Miami this weekend.
