The NC State volleyball team has been on a tear since the beginning of the 2014 season, winning 11 straight games heading into conference play with an 11-1 record. The Wolfpack’s current win streak is the longest since the team reeled off 13 straight in 2011.
To find the root of the State squad’s recent success, one has to look back at the history of the program up to this point.
Before the hiring of current head coach Bryan Bunn in February 2010, the Wolfpack was nothing short of dreadful. The program failed to break 10 wins in any season from 2000-2009, a stretch which included five seasons without a single conference win.
After Bunn was signed as the leader of the Pack, however, the program saw significant improvement almost instantly. In his first year, Bunn led his team to a 14-18 record, including four conference wins.
In the past three years, the Pack has recorded at least 20 wins in each season. In 2012, the team earned a berth in the NCAA tournament for only the second time in school history.
With only one starter loss from the 2013 season, the State volleyball squad looks as strong as ever.
Headlining the Pack’s 2014 roster are five seniors, all of whom have logged meaningful minutes in the team’s first 12 games.
Senior outside hitter Rachel Buckley has paced the team this season in kills (128) and sits at third in blocks (23). As a captain, Buckley has been the true vocal leader of the team on the court, creating a necessary energy for the team to be successful.
“She has a big personality,” Bunn said. “The younger girls look up to her because she knows what it takes to be successful and win. She knows the energy that you have to put into it.”
Buckley has been awarded MVP honors in two of the team’s four tournaments this season.
Rounding out the senior class are outside hitter Dariyan Hopper, middle blocker Alesha Wilson, outside hitter Nikki Glass and libero Alston Kearns. Wilson and Kearns have combined for three all-tournament team selections this season and are both regular starters for the Pack. Kearns leads the team with 3.59 digs per game, while Wilson has averaged a team-high 1.00 blocks per set.
However, the seniors are not the only driving force behind the Pack’s early success. Over the summer, Bunn brought in a nationally ranked recruiting class.
Standing out from the rest of her class is freshman middle blocker Kaitlyn Kearney. The young middle blocker currently leads the team in total blocks and kill percentage at .374. At the Georgia Benson Hospitality Invitational, Kearney was named MVP.
“She does a nice job of taking care of the ball and doesn’t make many errors,” Bunn said.
Kearney is also a two-time ACC Freshman of the Week award recipient.
Freshmen outside hitter Perry Ramsey and defensive specialist Emily Harris have also seen significant playing time for the Pack. Ramsey has started all but one game and has seen more touches (301) than any other State player so far this season. Harris has only seen one start, but has been a regular member of the rotation and leads the Pack in serve percentage for all players who have made at least 40 serves.
Finally, the service game has found stability with sophomore Maggie Speaks facilitating the ball. Speaks has racked up not only 337 assists, but also 43 kills and 66 digs.
“She’s been playing really well,” Bunn said. “She’s been doing a lot of good things; she gets the ball to the middle, where we like to have it.”
With Syracuse traveling to Reynolds Coliseum on Friday, the Pack will look to carry its hot streak into conference play. A win against the Orange would tie second-longest win streak in NC State history.
