Jake Lange
Associate Sports Editor
Another year has begun for NC State athletics, as football, soccer, volleyball and cross-country have each begun new seasons. Here at the Technician, we have listed the key games to watch among each team’s respective schedules in the fall semester.
Football – Georgia Tech, Wake Forest
On Saturday, Nov. 8, the Wolfpack will face the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in Raleigh for the NC State homecoming game. Georgia Tech had a modest season last year, going 5-3 in the conference and 7-6 overall, which included a 38-14 upset against Duke and a 70-0 rout over Elon. The Jackets are coming off a great year rushing the ball, having been ranked sixth in the nation last year in rushing, but have lost former ace running back David Sims as well as quarterback Vad Lee. The last time that the teams faced each other was in 2011, when NC State climbed out of a 21-0 deficit to come back in the game, but fell short to No. 21 Georgia Tech, 45-35.
In recent years, the Pack has continued to fall victim to serial upsets at Wake Forest. NC State has not beaten the Demon Deacons in Winston Salem since 2002 and the trend has strengthened the rivalry between the two in-state schools. Wake Forest finished last season with a 4-8 record, going 2-6 in the conference. Along with losing their former head coach Jim Grobe, the team has lost several players on both sides of the ball, as both offense and defense have five returning starters. Last year, NC State lost 28-13 at Wake, but the Pack will be ready for revenge when the Deacons visit Carter-Finley Stadium on Nov. 15.
Men’s Soccer – Louisville, UNC-Chapel Hill
The NC State soccer team will be a sleeper team in the ACC this year. Despite being ranked fourth in the ACC Atlantic Division projections, the team went 8-5-4 last season, brought in the best recruiting class in the ACC and has shown intense progression in the offseason. Last season, the team was better than its record showed; the Pack led in games against three of the final four teams in the national championship.
NC State will welcome No. 14 Louisville to the ACC on Oct. 3. The Cardinals will become a strong contender in the ACC next season, as they dominated the American conference last season, accruing an 11-5-4 record (5-1-2 AAC) and are projected as the Atlantic division favorite.
No. 22 Carolina is projected to have a successful year in men’s soccer as the team always seems to have. They are ranked third in the ACC behind Notre Dame and Louisville and look forward to playing as a dominant factor in the division. Carolina went 9-6-5 overall and 4-2-5 within the conference last year. The overlooked NC State team looks to topple the Tar Heels with a sweet rivalry upset on Oct. 14.
Women’s Soccer – Virginia
The NC State women’s soccer team had an underwhelming season last fall. The team was ranked No. 13 in the ACC and went 7-12 and 2-11 in the conference. The Pack looks to improve an enormous amount this year and will look forward to potentially upsetting No. 3 Virginia on Oct 12th, when the unsuspecting Cavaliers travel to Raleigh, looking to chalk up an easy win.
Volleyball – Duke
During the 2013 season, Duke suffered only one loss in conference play; that loss came at the hands of N.C. State. This season, ranked No. 21 in the AVCA Preseason Poll, the Blue Devils will still likely be the squad to beat in the ACC, and no one knows that better than the Pack. The two teams will not meet until Nov. 29, making Duke the State team’s final test of the regular season. This matchup could not only be crucial for postseason position, but also potentially for the ACC crown. Having only lost one starter, the Pack roster is filled with veteran and rookie talent and is set to make a strong run in the ACC this season. However, State will have to go through the reigning conference champs before staking its claim as the dominant force of the ACC.
