Wood digs deep

Growing up in Yadkin County, freshman Kelly Wood was a star athlete at 2A Forbush High. She scored a goal in the Falcons’ tilt for the state soccer championship her senior year and averaged 14 kills per match as a middle blocker/outside hitter on the volleyball team in her final year, but Wood’s days of smashing balls into the hardwood are over now that she is a libero for the N.C. State volleyball team.

“I knew what I was getting into [coming to State,]” Wood said. “I did everything in high school, but that’s high school volleyball, it’s different.”

Wood was recruited all over the Southeast as both a defensive specialist and an outside hitter, but ultimately chose to join the Wolfpack because of its proximity to home and the competition she would face.

“I was excited about it because of the level of play,” Wood said.

Still, the 5-foot-8 freshman became the third shortest player on the team in a sport where height kills, meaning the former outside hitter would have to be digging balls instead of hitting them – a change that wasn’t difficult physically, but still required a mental reassessment of the game.

“It wasn’t a hard transition,” Wood said. “I could play libero, [my problem] was [with] not hitting anymore – I liked hitting.”

Now, after a season of collegiate volleyball under her belt, Wood said the motto she developed to put her position into perspective was much like one used in football: offense wins points, defense wins games.

Still, Wood said the transition from her small-school roots to bigtime college life has been a struggle.

“Schoolwork isn’t hard, and volleyball is what I’m here for,” Wood said. “But focusing on being the best you can be in volleyball and doing the best you can in academics. It’s a strain. You have to know your stuff, study in advance and then go out there and bust your butt off in volleyball. You’re expected 110 percent in both areas.”

Wood said fans are still unsure of her position and all it entails, adding that she often gets approached around campus and asked if she is the team captain because of the alternate jersey she wears in games.

Wood’s position as a libero is utilized by volleyball teams to switch out hitters with players who specialize in defense and passing.

“[The team] depends on me to get them a ball they can hit,” Wood said. “It doesn’t matter what kind of ball it is – I’ve got to get it.”

Digs show up on the stat sheet, but seldom do fans get excited about spectacular passes, though Wood said she gets to share in the excitement when one of her teammates gets a big-time kill.

“We don’t get the glory but we all share it as a team,” Wood said. “I have satisfaction in what I do.”

Wood said the fans’ excitement has a huge influence on the team’s play, especially in close matches like the Boston College match earlier this year in Reynolds Coliseum.

“They were so loud, just clapping and yelling,” Wood said, referring to a time late in the match just before a BC player had a service error.  “That was pretty much the reason she missed her serve. It made us that much more pumped.”

They were so pumped that the team defeated the Eagles that night in the team’s first win over an ACC opponent in 56 tries. The team followed up the ACC win with a victory over Maryland the next day for the program’s first 2-0 conference start since 1988. The team’s nine wins this season are the most since 2004, and Wood is looking toward next season already.

“I knew it was a building program,” she said. “I’m glad that I can help build it.”