NC State Athletics kicked off the fall season this past week. Both soccer squads hosted their first games of the year and volleyball traveled out west to compete in the Utah Valley Invitational.
Women’s soccer draws with Rutgers
NC State women’s soccer played a gritty game against Rutgerson aThursday, Aug. 24. After a tough back-and-forth battle and a solid defensive effort on both ends, the two teams tied 1-1.
Rutgers held the lead for the majority of the game after scoring very early on. As the final minutes ticked down, it appeared as though NC State would lose its home opener, however freshman defender Mackenzie Smith and junior midfielder Annika Wohner made certain that wasn’t the case. With less than three minutes left to play, Wohner connected with Smith’s corner kick, heading the ball into the goal.
Read more about the Wolfpack’s draw with Rutgers.
Men’s soccer cruises past Radford
In contrast with the women’s team, NC State men’s soccer had no trouble defeating its first opponent of the year at Dail Soccer Stadium. Goals from graduate forward Scotty Taylor, junior forward Luke Hille and senior forward Junior Nare lifted the Pack to a 3-1 victory over the Highlanders. The red-and-white’s performance was promising and the Wolfpack is still hungry for more.
Read more about the Pack’s win over Radford.
Volleyball goes 2-1 in Utah Valley Invitational
NC State volleyball began its 2023 campaign with a cross-country trip to Utah, where the squad faced off against the Utah Valley Wolverines twice and the Utah Utes once. The Pack went 0-1 against the Utes and won both its games against Utah Valley.
In its first game of the invitational, the Wolfpack took down the hosting Wolverines 3-1 after dropping the first set. Freshman outside hitter Clara Vondran established herself as a potential rising star in this first match-up, leading the Pack with 16 kills. The red-and-white was unable to keep its momentum rolling in the next match though, losing to the Utes in three sets despite a commendable defensive showing. In a rematch against the Wolverines the next day, NC State got back on track, defeating the hosts in five intense sets thanks to strong blocking by junior opposite hitter Amanda Rice and senior middle blocker Riley Shaak.
Read more about the Pack’s season-opening victory.
