NC State volleyball hosted the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in an intense five-set battle on Friday, Sept. 1. The match was characterized by lengthy runs from each team and tight back-and-forth duels at the end of each set, but ultimately it was the Pack that secured a 3-2 victory.
The Wolfpack (4-1) came into the match fresh off of a dominant 3-1 win over Howard on Thursday, Aug. 31, and it kept that momentum going the following night. When battling against Rutgers (3-1), the red-and-white was plagued by constant service errors, as well as a struggle to keep the ball on its side of the net, but ultimately, the team got the job done.
Set one started off strong as the Pack was able to go on an early 7-0 scoring run to take all the momentum from the get-go. Rutgers made mistakes — touching the net and the antenna — allowing the ball to stay on NC State’s side. Junior middle blocker Jada Allen once again showed off her veteran ability by recording a service ace, a block assist and a kill in the beginning of the set.
Unfortunately, the scoring run wasn’t enough for the Pack as Rutgers quickly caught up and took the set 25-23. It was in the second set where the Wolfpack made another comeback — the second time in three games — and once again, NC State was able to come from behind for a win.
“I always say they got their one, now we get ours, they got their two now we get ours,” Allen said. “I never think one play, one person can do anything, so I feel like when it’s tight, or we’re behind, next one.”
Junior opposite hitter Amanda Rice and sophomore outside hitter Ava Brizard picked up their pace in the second set, contributing numerous kills to the 25-21 win. Rice eventually finished the game leading in kills with 18, and Brizard was right behind her with 16. While the attacks might have been on-point, it was the red and white’s serves and serve receive that was struggling throughout the game.
In both the second and third sets combined, the Pack gave up 12 service errors, but eventually the team finished the night with 18. The third set saw multiple balls being dropped and players scrambling for the ball, and eventually the Scarlet Knights took the third set 25-20.
“We’re not going to win a lot of matches with that type of servicing,” said head coach Luka Slabe. “[We have] a lot of courage, gut, and battle, we never quit. We were punched in the mouth from all over the place but we did not back down.”
Both the fourth and fifth sets saw more underdog moments from NC State, as the team battled long and hard to ensure it secured the win. A 5-0 scoring run in the fourth allowed the Pack to stay on track with Rice delivering the fatal blow to send the match into a fifth and final set.
“It’s making me very excited, all these comeback games, how much heart we still have,” Allen said.
Although he acknowledged the impressive performance by his team, head coach Luka Slabe gave a lot of credit to the fans that flocked to Reynolds for the Wolfpack’s epic win. It was clear that the electric atmosphere in the arena powered the red-and-white through five hard-fought sets.
“I want to thank [the fans],” Slabe said. “I want to praise them for how great they were. A big part of our win was their support.”
The Pack will be back in action on Saturday, Sept. 2 when it returns to Reynolds Coliseum to take on the Winthrop Eagles at 5 p.m.
