NC State volleyball fought hard in its second match of the day and the final match of the Utah Valley Invitational. As the Pack gained momentum and energy, it showed its resiliency as a team and ultimately prevailed after going to extra points in the fifth set.
Despite this being the Pack’s (2-1) second match of the day, it managed to keep up with the Wolverines’ aggressive (1-2) offense. The Wolfpack capitalized on quick passes and fast rallies early on to take its points. The Pack’s defense struggled to keep its defense together in the early parts of the match, not getting its first block until late in the first set. The Wolverines found the weak spots in NC State’s defense and used them to stay ahead and win the set, 22-25.
Utah Valley came out strong in the second set, moving it along much faster than the first. Once again, NC State proved that quick, aggressive play by its offense was the key to scoring points. Senior middle blocker Riley Shaak and junior opposite hitter Amanda Rice proved to be effective as a blocking pair, with Shaak leading the team in total blocks overall. However, the Wolverines pulled away later in the set, taking it 20-25.
NC State entered the third set with lots of energy, unwilling to let another set go. The offense kept up its aggressiveness and was able to keep pace with the Wolverines’ offense, even taking the lead a few times throughout the set. The Pack started to pull away and sophomore libero Sydney Daniels served a couple consecutive rallies, earning herself one service ace. NC State’s energy started to pick up again once it took its largest lead of the night, allowing the red -and-white to take the set, 25-19.
The Pack’s momentum stayed with it through the beginning of the fourth set as it set and maintained an early lead over the Wolverines. A service ace from Daniels iced the set win for NC State, winning 25-17.
Both teams came out ready to win in the fifth set. The two went back and forth on rallies as the Pack took an early lead, but the home court energy kicked in for Utah Valley as the Wolverines went on a 4-0 run. It was an exciting back-and-forth, but eventually NC State was able to keep it tied up to win the final match, 16-14.
The Pack overtook Utah Valley in attacks, service aces and kills, giving it a slight offensive advantage, especially in the latter three sets. Rice stood out in this match, establishing herself as a key player both offensively and defensively. She led the team in service aces and tied with sophomore outside hitter Ava Brizard for most points, while her blocks proved to be useful in the third and fourth sets.
NC State will return to Raleigh for its first home game of the season to face off with Howard at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 31.
