The NC State volleyball team won its second-straight tournament this weekend, undefeated in the Georgia Benson Hospitality Invitational. Earning wins over Harvard, UNC-Asheville and Georgia, the Wolfpack extended its current win streak to eight games.
State (8-1) kicked off the Invitational against Harvard (4-2) on Friday night, defeating the Crimson, 3-1. Freshman middle blocker Kaitlyn Kearney led the way for the Pack with 12 kills on just 20 attempts.
Kearney notched 36 kills in 11 sets this weekend, earning tournament MVP honors in the process. Head Coach Bryan Bunn said Kearney deserved the award for her stellar play.
“She does a nice job of taking care of the ball,” Bunn said. “She doesn’t make many errors and does a good job of seeing the bock and hitting around it.”
State broke off to a 4-0 run early in the first set, highlighted by two service aces from senior outside hitter Nikki Glass. Glass finished the match with three aces, and the team had five total.
The second set was neck-and-neck, as the two teams totaled 11 ties before the Crimson took the set, 28-26.
The Pack answered with a strong third set, taking a 14-4 lead to start the fourth. State had to hold off a late comeback by Harvard, but eventually took the final set, 26-24.
In its first match on Saturday, the Pack dominated in-state foe UNC-Asheville (2-8) in straight sets. The Bulldogs finished the tournament in Georgia without winning a single set.
After a subpar match against Harvard, senior outside hitter Rachel Buckley returned to form, notching a team-high nine kills. Kearney and freshman outside hitter Julia Brown tied Buckley with nine apiece.
After seeing no action in the previous seven games, junior setter Tanna Aljoe got the start over sophomore setter Maggie Speaks against UNC-A. Aljoe had a strong match, recording a game-high 39 assists along with four digs.
In the final game of the tournament, the Pack took on host Georgia (5-4), handling the Bulldogs in four sets. Freshman outside hitter Perry Ramsey had a monster outing, recording 17 kills, the most for any State player all season.
“She played much more confidently than she did a couple weeks ago,” Bunn said.
Georgia took the first set after an 11-4 run midway through to take a 23-16 lead en route to a 25-20 victory.
State responded by duking out a two-point win in the second set, which included 14 ties and seven lead changes. Aljoe entered the game in the second set for Speaks and recorded 15 of her 41 assists during the second set.
Aljoe would end the game with her first double-double of the season: 41 kills and 11 digs. Bunn said he saw good things from the junior this weekend.
“She was playing better defense and was a little bit better with her setting,” Bunn said.
The Pack was ferocious in the third set, opening on a 6-0 run that would eventually turn into a 25-22 victory.
The fourth and final set would prove to be a true test for State. After going down 12-6, the Pack fought its way back to tie the set at 15 apiece.
“When we get a big lead or when we get down, it’s hard to keep them composed,” Bunn said. “We showed a lot of composure coming back.”
Despite 16 team blocks from the Bulldogs, the State squad battled out a 31-29 win to take the final game of the tournament. Bunn said that when going against a team with such strong blockers, it’s all about vision.
“Our attackers have to see the blocks and move the ball,” Bunn said.
The Pack will head back to Raleigh this weekend, as it will host its second tournament of the season: the NC State Courtyard Midtown Invitational.
