NC State volleyball took down the Utah Valley Wolverines in an electric match on Friday, Aug. 25. After traveling over 2,000 miles, the Wolfpack did not let the high altitude derail its strong desire to start the season off with a win.
The red-and-white (1-0) started off slow, allowing the Wolverines (0-1) to take the first set in a close 25-21 win. The visiting Wolfpack struggled on the offensive side, finishing the set with a mere nine kills. However, the Pack looked much more comfortable in the sets that followed.
When the buzzer sounded to signal the start of the second set, the NC State squad that stepped out onto the court was nearly unrecognizable. However, the Wolfpack went on an 8-0 scoring run at the beginning of the second set, quickly setting the tone for the rest of the match and refusing to give Utah Valley an opportunity to catch up.
It was here that Sophomore outside hitter Ava Brizard revved up her hitting arm, tallying four kills in the second set alone. She finished the match with a staggering 15 kills, just five shy of her 2022 season high.
Despite her impressive performance, Brizard didn’t lead the Pack in kills. Instead, freshman outside hitter Clara Vondran took the crown with 16. After committing only two hitting errors throughout the four sets, Vondran finished the match with a .412 hitting percentage, carving out her place on the NC State roster.
After taking the second set 25-15, the Wolfpack didn’t take its foot off the brake. Vondran started the third set off with a kill — assisted by graduate setter Kristen McDaniel — and proceeded to notch six more throughout the set. McDaniel finished the set with seven assists and finished the match leading the team in assists with 25. Just after, the red-and-white took the third set, 25-20.
NC State was able to truly show its dominance by finishing off the Wolverines 25-12 in the fourth set. Brizard, Vondran and junior opposite hitter Amanda Rice continued their hitting masterclass that the Utah defense just couldn’t beat. In the third set, 20 out of 25 points came from kills, and 15 of the 25 points in the fourth set came the same way.
It wasn’t just on offense where the Wolfpack shined —its defense played a big role in the win as well. Senior defensive specialist Skye Stokes led the team with 12 digs, followed by senior setter Naomi Cabello with eight. NC State notched 3 more digs than its opponent, finishing with a whopping 46.
With the first win of the season under its belt, the red-and-white have to recharge quickly for its doubleheader on Saturday, Aug. 26. The first match is set to start at 2 p.m. against the University of Utah.
