It was one of the most consequential weeks of the athletics calendar this fall for NC State athletics, with men’s and women’s basketball opening their seasons, football playing an in-state rivalry and a home men’s soccer match in the ACC tournament. Here’s a rundown of what happened.
Football flounders against Duke on senior night
Once again, NC State football fell on its face, losing 29-19 to Duke in its final home game of the season. In a recurring theme under head coach Dave Doeren, the Pack’s offense sputtered throughout the night, managing just one touchdown all game. Freshman quarterback CJ Bailey played his worst game of the season, throwing for just 184 yards with a 41% completion percentage. The Wolfpack failed to involve sophomore receiver KC Concepcion in the passing game, severely limiting an already stagnant offense.
Defensively, the Pack did its best to contain the Blue Devils but was placed in bad spots by the offense time and time again. The defense certainly played admirably, though, allowing just 31 rushing yards and not a single third-down conversion. Yet, the offense couldn’t find enough points to reward the defense with a win.
Read about NC State’s loss to the Blue Devils here.
Women’s basketball splits opening week action
Fresh off its second Final Four appearance in program history, NC State women’s basketball celebrated its accomplishments by raising a new banner in Reynolds Coliseum. The Wolfpack then earned an 80-55 victory over East Tennessee State, fueled by an impressive second half. Sophomore guard Zoe Brooks became a walking bucket, setting a career-high 21 points.
The Wolfpack then hit the road for Charlotte in a Sunday matinee against South Carolina — the defending national champions. NC State battled hard against the Gamecocks in a game that was tight early. However, a late first-half run by the Gamecocks put South Carolina up for good to extend its winning streak to 40-consecutive games. For NC State, the game showed that the Wolfpack has one of the most talented backcourts in the nation, but will be searching for answers in the frontcourt.
Read about the Wolfpack’s opening night win here and NC State’s loss to South Carolina here.
Men’s basketball raises a pair of banners
NC State men’s basketball also celebrated last season’s accomplishments, unveiling an ACC Championship banner and a Final Four banner — firsts since the 1980’s for the Wolfpack. The red-and-white then hammered USC-Upstate 97-66. The Wolfpack started slow after its banner ceremony, but quickly pulled away by halftime. Senior guard Marcus Hill put on a show to open the second half, viciously attacking the rim and scoring eight of the red-and-white’s first 10 points of the half.
The Wolfpack found itself in a trickier matchup against Presbyterian later in the week, squeaking out an 81-72 win. The Pack struggled defensively, surrendering offensive rebounds and paint points all night. While the Blue Hose came close to pulling off the upset, NC State remained ahead thanks to strong offensive performances from senior guard Jayden Taylor and senior forward Ben Middlebrooks.
Read about the Pack’s banner-raising win here and NC State’s win over Presbyterian here.
Women’s soccer announces coaching change
After a 4-10-4 campaign, NC State women’s soccer announced this week that it will be parting ways with former head coach Tim Santoro, who was hired at NC State following the 2012 season. The Wolfpack hasn’t played in the NCAA Tournament since 2022 and the program has struggled significantly the past two seasons. The search for a new head coach remains ongoing.
Read our breaking news about the change here.
Volleyball falls into a slump
NC State volleyball suffered a brutal three-game stretch, dropping three straight matches, two of which ended in sweeps against Boston College and Miami. After a breakthrough season last year and a strong start to this season, Pack volleyball finds itself in a difficult spot. With just six matches remaining, the red-and-white will need a strong finish to maintain the momentum it built over the past couple of seasons.
Read about NC State’s loss to Boston College here.
Men’s soccer drops home ACC Tournament match
NC State men’s soccer found itself hosting a first-round ACC Tournament match, facing off with Virginia. Despite holding a lead late, the Wolfpack fell 2-1 after the Cavaliers scored a pair of goals late. Both goals came moments apart, stunning the red-and-white and ending the team’s ACC championship hopes.
The Wolfpack earned multiple chances to even the score late but failed to finish the job. With the loss, the Pack’s ACC Tournament drought continues, with its last win in the tournament coming from the 2019 campaign. Nevertheless, hosting a postseason match shows the incredible progress made by first-year head coach Marc Hubbard.
Read about the Pack’s heartbreaking loss in the ACC Tournament here.
