After four seasons in Raleigh, head coach Luka Slabe saw an opportune fifth on the horizon. His team, off the heels of a snub from the 2024 NCAA Tournament following the best regular season in school history, looked different than a 22-7 group normally would at season’s end. Though he was losing two seniors who started every game, the skeleton of a tournament-ready team remained.
Slabe brought back his two leading scorers in junior outside hitter Ava Brizzard and senior opposite hitter Amanda Rice, a proven setter in graduate Naomi Cabello, senior middle blocker Jada Allen — who led the team in blocks — and the team-leader in digs graduate libero Skye Stokes.
The Pack, led by Rice, who was named to the All-ACC second team, made history in 2024 with its fourth selection to the NCAA Tournament and first with Slabe at the helm. The feat is evidence of a new chapter of NC State volleyball, making its mark in such a prestigious athletic program.
“We’re catching up with some other sports at this university,” Slabe said. “That’s what we want. We’re surrounded with a lot of excellence, so we have to try to match that in every area.”
While the Wolfpack’s (16-13) journey to this NCAA Tournament marked a turning point in the program’s trajectory, it now faced one of its most challenging matchups of the season against No. 6 seed Florida (22-7) in Lawrence, Kansas. Despite all it accomplished in 2024, Slabe’s 11-seed Wolfpack fell in straight sets to the six-seeded Gators, bringing an end to the promising season. It was a dominant showing from Florida who didn’t play like a team entering the game ranked 22nd in the country, but rather a threat to the national crown.
All-SEC first-team opposite hitter Kennedy Martin powered Florida’s offense with 18 kills and five blocks, a dominant performance amplified by her 6-foot-6 frame and an offense that ranks eighth nationally in hit percentage. Middle blocker Jaela Auguste, the SEC Freshman of the Year, added six kills and seven blocks.
In the first two sets, the Wolfpack led for a total of five rallies, losing 25-18 in the first set and 25-21 in the second. Kennedy put an exclamation on the second set with a thundering kill that ricocheted off the back wall of the gym.
While the first set was utter dominance from Florida, the second was winnable with a 6-2 Wolfpack advantage in errors and seven more attacks to show for an adjustment in aggression. Even still, the Wolfpack couldn’t catch a break all night, going into the third set with its season on the line.
NC State responded with a 4-1 start to the third, playing with desperation and nothing to lose, only to have the last ounces of hope ripped from its fingertips. A 4-0 response gave the Gators the lead for good, ending a remarkable run for one team and giving a boost of life to the other.
While the loss marks the end of the 2024 season for NC State, the progress this team has made under Slabe’s leadership is undeniable. The Wolfpack did everything it had to do to get here, including winning a clutch reverse sweep of No. 10 SMU to close the season that likely was the deciding factor in making the tournament.
This team proved it belongs on a national stage and set a new bar for NC State volleyball. In 2025, NC State will likely return five key contributors who logged significant action throughout the season and combined for 85 starts, perhaps creating a new skeleton for Slabe in year six.
