The volleyball team returns home this weekend for the first time in three weeks and will continue to break into conference play. Friday night the Pack takes on ACC foe Maryland and will face Boston College on Saturday night.
Friday night, the team will host its annual Dig Pink event, which raises funds and awareness for breast cancer research, as well as honors the late Kay Yow’s efforts against the disease.
The first 100 fans will receive pink wristbands and the first 500 fans will be given pink pom-poms. Donations will be taken at the door to benefit breast cancer research. Fans may donate $1 to the fund and be entered into a raffle for a variety of prizes, including gift certificates to local restaurants and State paraphernalia.
Senior middle blocker Lisa Kretchman sees the night as a chance to show respect and support for those who are fighting the disease.
“We’re just trying to raise awareness. We want to see a lot of people come out for the cause,” Kretchman said.
Kretchman said she personally knows survivors who are battling breast cancer and it is important to come out and play, or cheer, hard for those people.
Coach Charita Stubbs is ready and willing to support the event, particularly to honor Yow.
“It’s definitely a great way to try to show how dedicated she was and she touched so many people in different ways,” Stubbs said. “We support any way that we can honor her life and all that she did.”
Stubbs and her team will be in full display of shades of pink and all fans in attendance are encouraged to do the same.
“Everyone will be wearing pink uniforms – I’m excited to see that,” Stubbs said.
Yow made her coaching debut at State not in basketball but in volleyball. She was the first coach in the University’s volleyball program from 1975-1976. She coached her teams to a 44-28 record.
Stubbs served alongside Yow as a coach and representative of the University since her arrival in 2006 and is grateful for the time she spent with Yow.
“Kay Yow was always very cordial when I saw her and showed an interest in how we were doing,” Stubbs said. “You would think that a person of her stature wouldn’t have the time – but she would come in to the office just to sit and talk to me. She always had words of encouragement.”
That encouragement that Yow always offered to Stubbs has taken form as words of wisdom that she keeps close to her heart. Before Yow’s passing, she gave Stubbs a card. In it, her last words read: “What is delayed is not denied.”
The card is still on Stubb’s desk and serves as a reminder of the task at hand.
“I have to keep preserving and fighting to make N.C. State volleyball better,” Stubbs said. “[Yow] knew that it is a hard road ahead for us.”
The team will be hard at work doing just that this weekend, when they will be in search of their first ACC win of the year.
“It’s going to be nice to come in front of our crowd against these two teams,” Stubbs said. “They’re always a factor in our games, and always loud.”
Two of the team’s three conference wins last season came against Maryland and Boston College – both of which were played in Reynolds on the same weekend. The Pack enters the weekend at 7-10 and 0-2 in the ACC. Boston College holds the series record 6-2 over the Pack. The team is 18-39 in all-time play against Maryland.
The team has been preparing to maintain the quickness and competitive level of athleticism that opponents bring to the table during ACC play.
“In practice, we have been trying to increase intensity of the practice itself to make everything be like an urgent situation,” Stubbs said. “Things will be moving quickly and be fast-paced.”
Kretchman said a key factor to winning this weekend is to bring a strong effort from the first serve to the last.
“We’ve talked a lot about coming out strong from the beginning. Sometimes we’ll get into the game, but it’s just a little bit too late,” Kretchman said. “When we’re down and trying to catch up, it’s already difficult.”
